


New Horizons - A Skyward Sword Aftermath Story

by Just_a_big_nerdy



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 58,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25830910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_a_big_nerdy/pseuds/Just_a_big_nerdy
Summary: Demise has been sealed away, and the clouds that once enshrouded The Surface have now dispersed. Some of the residents of Skyloft move from their homeland to the mysterious land below.The Goddess entrusts Zelda with the duty of claiming her land once again, and making it prosper. With the help of Link, her people, and a bunch of new faces, the spirit maiden builds upon the bare, untouched surface, to create what will become a successful, thriving land for many years to come.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I don't know if anyone will ever see this, idk if people really use AO3! I was told this was the best place to post my story, so here I am 😂
> 
> I've written a much more in-depth explanation to where the hell this story came from, what it's about etc. On my Instagram page! There, I'll also be uploading the story, as well as including somewhat relevant drawings. So if you would like to check that out, go to @ new.horizons_ss !! 
> 
> Well anyway, I'd like to say a couple things: 
> 
> 1\. I absolutely HATED English in school, so my writing probably sucks. I've been writing a lot of this story over the course of 8 months, and I've edited and rewritten a lot of it as time goes on, trying to make it the best I can! So yeah if it's not all that good, that'll be why 😂 But I do try! 😭
> 
> 2\. I know that this story is kinda unrealistic, but I didn't want this story to be seen as some fairly accurate backstory to what ACTUALLY happened after the events of SS. Instead, this is just me absolutely loving the characters of the game, and wanting to see them in scenarios that I thought would be funny, interesting, or cute. 
> 
> Well anyway, I'll stop going on and on now. If anyone reads this, I hope you enjoy the world of New Horizons!

Chapter One - A New Destiny 

"What about you, Link? What will you do now?"  
Link gasped as his eyes lit up with excitement. "I want to join you!" 

Atop the Goddess statue, the pair looked out across the vast, untouched world around them. There was something about it that made the idea of living there so appealing. Perhaps it was the multitude of fresh, green trees that trailed off into the horizon, or the large, mossy mountains that framed the view as though it was a painting. Perhaps it was the sweet smell of the flowers and plants the world had to offer, or for the hero, perhaps...it was a certain someone. 

Upon returning back to Skyloft, it didn't take long for many others to hop onto the idea of moving. Some were to stay due to personal reasons: Bertie and his wife had decided to focus on their growing family, Kukiel's family and Beatreaux had decided to stay too. Many of the older residents, such as the mature knights and instructors were more than content with their peaceful lives in the sky.

For the others, such as most of the Knight Academy students, and others, such as Orielle, her older brother Parrow, Peatrice, some of the mothers, Gully and his family, were to take part in this life-changing experience. After a town meeting with Gaepora, it had been announced that everyone who wished to embark could now leave the following morning. 

Now that everyone had returned safely, Zelda and her friends started to make up for time they had lost. The entire academy building was filled with booming sounds of laughter once again, and perhaps for the last time. Instructor Owlan and Instructor Horwell were overjoyed to see everyone all together once again. 

Very last minute, it was planned for everyone to enjoy themselves with a little celebration held on the plaza, to celebrate the return of their lovely Zelda, and to celebrate the heroic duties Link and Groose had carried out. 

By that warm evening, strings of bulbed lights were hung outside, which illuminated the plaza with an ambient, yellow glow. A plethora of delicious cakes, pastries and other snacks filled the tables that were set up in the area. Some of the residents were actually rather musically talented, and took turns to play tunes that were carried along by the night air. Zelda was the centre of attention; there wasn't one person who she hadn't spoken to that night. Everyone fussed over her well being, and showered her in love. A few hours into the party, Zelda was able to relax and just casually talk to her friend Karane. 

The red-head pulled her into a brief, tight hug. "It's so good to have you back, Zelda." She said with a smile. The latter returned the expression.  
"Thank you. It's so good to be back!" 

Just like old times, the girls were chatting away; catching up on drama, and just nonsense related to their daily lives.  
"Oh!" Karane's eyes lit up. "I have some news to tell you!"  
Zelda raised her eyebrows. "Oh?" 

The girl looked over to Pipit, who was talking with his fellow male students. She gestured for him to come over, and he followed suit.  
"I have been meaning to tell you..." Karane said slowly, as she linked arms with the boy. "We're dating!"  
Pipit gave a bashful smirk, while the red-head beamed a smile. The Goddess displayed a surprised expression.  
"Oh my, I'm happy for you!" 

For a moment, Zelda glanced at the pair enviously. Sure, she was happy for her friend, but she was a little bit gutted her friend managed to get into a relationship before she ever did. Her eyes quickly flashed over to Link, who was on the other side of the plaza, and was being grabbed by the shoulders and shaken to death by Groose once again.  
Perhaps, now that everything is back to normal, just like Karane, she'd have a chance to find happiness too. 

"How did you two...you know?" Zelda sparked up conversation once again. Karane laughed.  
"Funny story, actually. It was Link who brought us together."  
The blonde raised her eyebrows again. Pipit's eyes widened, as his cheeks rapidly turned pink. "O-only because he found out we liked each other! I still approached her and confessed."  
It was amusing for Zelda to see Pipit try and hold onto his pride. 

"Well, anyway, it's getting kinda late." Said Karane. "Pipit, didn't you need to talk to your mother before she goes to bed?"  
The knight nodded.  
"Alright." Karane turned back to Zelda. "We'll see you around!" The pair politely said goodbye, and went off. 

"My darling." Zelda heard her father's voice call from behind her. "May I have a word with you?"  
Zelda turned around to face him, and cheerily smiled. "Of course, Father!" 

Gaepora led Zelda to the nearby windmill that sat outside of the Knight's Academy. The girl's father remained silent for a moment, causing her to do the same. The music and chatter from the party was now a hum in the distance, and the atmosphere was instead filled with the whistling of the warm, gentle breeze. Zelda glanced to her father, who, even in the dim lighting, could be seen with a serious look on his face. The elder opened his mouth, seeming like he struggling with knowing how to start what he was going to say.  
"Zelda."  
"Yes?"  
Gaepora took in a deep breath, and then continued. "Although we do not have an official leader here in Skyloft, you do understand that I play the role of guiding and supporting our people, yes?"  
The girl agreed.  
"Well then, since so many residents of Skyloft is travelling down with you, I would like there to be a person of significance." 

Zelda seemed confused for a second, and then her eyes lit up. "So you're going to move down to the Surface with us?!" She said happily. "You're going to be the leader of a new land?!"  
The elder looked at his daughter, and let out a sigh. "No, you don't understand Zelda. I'm not moving down there. I am too old and too settled here in Skyloft. Besides, I still have people to take care of here." 

The girl's smile faded quickly. "What?! But I thought you were going to come with us!"  
"I just didn't know how I was going to tell you, since you were so excited." The man added, rubbing his forehead. "But you do know what this means, don't you?"

Zelda swallowed, not wanting his next words to be what they were.  
Gaepora grabbed his daughter's hands.  
"Zelda. You are my daughter, and you are the goddess of our people. You are very brave and caring. I am asking you to become the leader and protector of the land. You must guide your people, and bring the Surface into prosperity. The future lies with you down there, not up here in the clouds."

Zelda stepped back, mouth agape.  
"Father... That is such a big task to fulfill! I am only one person... Haven't I already been through enough?!" The girl's eyes drifted to the ground. Gaepora pulled her into a comforting hug.  
"I understand that this is a large task. But I know that you can do this. It is what the Goddess would want."  
A moment passed, and then the man continued.  
"Establish a civilization on the Surface. Get to know the land. You are who everyone is relying on. It is most important that your powers as the goddess lives on!" 

"But I'm only a teenager!" Zelda argued. "I want to be a normal girl again! I've faught so hard to come home and live life the way I used to. I'm not ready for such a responsible role. At least not yet!"  
"But Zelda," the elder spoke defensively. "You must remember you are the spirit maiden. You must do great things! It was written in the ancient legends that you were not meant to live the life of an ordinary girl." 

The Goddess stared at her people, who were partying on the plaza. She had never seen herself as above them, even with the title as the Goddess Reborn. She was still an ordinary Skyloftian girl. She had her adventure, she had been through enough. She had lost her friend and protector Impa, she had been hunted down and tortured by Demise and Girahim. She made everyone worried sick about her, and most importantly, people she really cared about threw themselves into danger because of her. She longed for the attention to all just be over, and for things to just go back to how they used to be. 

Unfortunately, that was never going to happen. 

"I know that this is a lot, and these plans would all take some time, but this is a wonderful experience for you and your people. I'll leave you now to return to the celebration." Gaepora rested his hand on the girl's shoulder, and bid her goodnight, since he was returning to his room. 

Zelda dragged herself back over to the celebration, her mood completely dampened. Away from the others, she leaned against one of the stalls, and swirled a glass of juice. She stared deeply into it, letting herself zone out from the current situation. Alone with her thoughts, she continued to dwell on what her father had just told her. "Everyone's been excited to move to a new place." She thought. "Everyone's so eager to explore and live life so freely!"  
The fears of her friends going off and leaving her behind while she was stuck doing such mature roles ate at her. 

Her eyes shifted over to where Karane and Pipit sat. The jealousy inside of her stung. She wished she could be more like her friend, more normal. Although she felt that it was kind of creepy, she ended up watching Pipit shift closer to Karane, and whisper little nothings to her, making her giggle. Zelda sighed. She wanted to live life like a normal girl once again, to have fun, to fall in love- all the little things, really. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a presence to her right. It was Link. Leaning against the table alongside her, he sparked up a conversation.  
"You should try some of Piper's veggie rolls, but if you want them, you better be quick. Dovos is tucking in to them like a loftwing to a sack of seeds."  
Feeling really not in the mood to talk, Zelda settled with a mumbled "yeah" for a response. Link's expression quickly changed to concern, and he leaned towards the girl more.  
"Is everything alright?"  
The girl continued to swirl her drink. "Yes. I'm fine."  
"No, you're not." He responded. "It's unusual to not see you smiling and being all cheery."  
A small smile slipped from the girl's lips. She really enjoyed Link's company. His kindness always made her feel special. She looked up at him. His gentle eyes were looking at hers. She knew what she wanted, but she feared her destiny wouldn't allow such a thing.

Realistically, she knew that she could turn to Link no matter what. But that was the problem. He would always willingly risk everything for her. She had already put him through enough; she didn't want to burden him with her responsibilities anymore. Unlike her, he could now put his past behind him. He deserved to live a normal life again. Her expression fell, and she looked back down at her cup.  
"I am fine." She said coldly. "I just feel a bit tired."  
"Oh?"  
Zelda turned around, ready to leave. "I think I'm going to head back to my room."  
Link stood there, confused. "What? Already? Everyone's been so eager to see you!" 

In Zelda's mind, Link was right. It was selfish to just leave everyone after what they had done for her, but she just felt overwhelmed. Had her father not spoken to her so soon, things would have been different. She needed some space to recollect her thoughts.  
The girl continued walking, which made her friend follow. "I just want to go home."  
"But the celebration-"  
Zelda spun around with an irritated huff. She shot a glare to her friend, who stood there, with a sad expression. She didn't want to come across as so harsh, but she let her feelings get to her. "Just stop pestering me!" She scowled. "I don't want to be there any more. I'm going to bed. Goodnight, Link."  
The girl began storming off to the Knight's Academy, leaving behind the boy, who stood silently in the dark. Feeling rejected, he sadly watched her figure disappear into the night. 

He felt a big hand land on his shoulder. "What's up with Zelda?" Groose asked, appearing from behind him.  
"I don't know... She's just upset, and kind of snappy."  
Groose chuckled. "Girls, eh?"  
Link forced a small laugh, for he knew Groose's understanding of girls was next to nothing. Admittedly, he has seen a fair share of Karane and Zelda's hormonal outbursts through the years, but he knew something in particular was wrong. 

Groose gestured back to the party.  
"Come on, it turns out that while we were away Fledge got buff! He's doin' a press-up challenge with the boys in the middle of the plaza. It's hilarious!"  
Link glanced back at the building one last time, then decided to follow Groose.

"Zelda." He thought to himself. "I hope you're okay." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda flopped down onto her bed. She felt terribly guilty for taking out her emotions on Link, but the damage had been done now. She knew things would be better in the morning. She laid there, staring up at the ceiling for a while. Tomorrow morning, everyone was going to be making their big move. And she supposed… she will begin to fulfill her next big role. 

Sleepiness soon took over, and she faded into a world of deep slumber. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda felt weightless as she floated in a dark void of nothingness. It was obvious that she was dreaming. A muffled voice rang through this empty space. A female's voice. 

Beams of golden light began to shine down through the darkness, and onto the girl. She shaded her eyes with her hand, as she looked up to the bright light. 

The feminine voice continued to call out as it became clearer. It echoed throughout the empty space. It was a gentle, deep voice.  
"Mortal. Maiden of my divine spirit. I have a message I wish to relay to you."  
Zelda's eyes widened. "Goddess?" She faintly called out. 

"You have done well to defeat the ancient evil that had plagued my land. But you now have an even more important role to fulfil." 

There was a slight pause, before the voice continued. 

"You must return to the Earth. It is where your destiny lies. The Surface has yet to have a revolution."  
"A revolution?" The girl asked.  
"You will play a significant role in restoring the Surface to its former glory, and beyond. The land that was once mine, is now in your hands." 

"The land is already beginning to flourish with new life. Seek out the dwellers of the sea, sand and rock. They will aid you in your journey to prosperity." 

Zelda looked down at the triforce symbol on her hand, which began to beam with white light. 

"O youth, the future of the land rests with you. Until we meet again, farewell." 

The light shrunk, and everything faded to black.


	2. The Big Move

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and co. move to the vast new land below! This is a little insight into their first day there!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update woo!!! Admittedly, I haven't checked how my story's been doing today but last I checked there was quite a few views, 4 kudos and 1 bookmark so tysm for the people who gave it some love and support and if you're a returning viewer, I hope you enjoy this next chapter too! If you're new, hello as well of course!!!! 
> 
> Gotta promote my insta too which isn't doing so well 😩😂 for screenshots of the story, TLoZ related content, and kinda mediocre fan art I make related to my story, go to @new.horizons_ss on Instagram!

By the early hours of the following morning, masses of people were waiting eagerly at the main plaza. The cloud of travellers watched over the beautiful sky; it looked like a canvas gently painted with shades of warm pinks and oranges. Quiet murmurs among the excited bunch soon turned into one giant hum. The edge of the isolated land was sprinkled with coloured loftwings that sat alongside their owners, who strapped bags of belongings to them. 

Zelda woke to the sound of the distant chatter, as well as the golden sunlight that slipped into her room through the cracks in her window shutter. Today was the day. 

After the girl had slipped on her clothes and soft leather boots, she took one last look around her bedroom, accepting that it was going to be the last time she was here for a while. Since she packed earlier yesterday, her room was already bare: her room only contained the solid, heavy furniture such as her desk, wardrobe, and bed, for there was no way she would be able to bring them with her. Moving home was an odd feeling. Before everything happened, her life was so small, and she always had a consistent routine. Having never been anywhere new in her life, she had gotten so used to her little world. 

Seeing her room without her personalisation was brought on a sinking feeling, and a lot of reminiscing. Once she was done taking a last look at her room, she swiftly left in order to meet up with the others at the plaza. 

"Zelda!" she heard a familiar soft voice call out from behind her. Link came out of his room, and sped up to catch up to the girl.   
"Oh, good morning, Link! Are you all ready?" The girl replied cheerily. The hero smiled and nodded.  
"H-how are you feeling, this morning?" Link dared to ask, hoping bringing the topic of last night up wouldn't irritate her. 

Zelda froze, her eyes widened. She suddenly remembered. Last night. Last night she was so mean to him, and she forgot! She just greeted him like nothing had ever happened...how embarrassing. 

She turned to her friend with an apologetic stare. "Oh no, Link! I'm so sorry about-"  
"Don't worry about it." He cut her off. He gave her a thoughtful smile, and had a look in his eyes that Zelda couldn't quite understand. Whatever it was, she felt butterflies looking into them. 

The two walked in silence for a moment, before the girl made conversation again.   
"Say, did my loftwing wake you up again?"   
"Nope, I was already up."   
"Really? It isn't like you to wake yourself up..."   
The blonde girl stared at the boy's eyes, which were puffy and had dark circles around them. Links gaze shifted away from hers awkwardly.   
"Did you sleep at all last night?" Zelda teased. "Of course! I just struggled to get to sleep last night, probably because of the big move. No biggie." The boy gave her a strained smile. 

Zelda frowned at him confused. Him? Struggle to sleep? She looked down at her feet, starting to worry that what happened last night was part of the reason why. 

"So, uh, how did the rest of the night go?" The girl hesitantly asked. Link let out a small laugh. "Well, Groose somehow ended up passing out after an oddly intense "One-Legged Loftwing Fight" competition. We had to drag him back to his room, and when I mean we, I mean me and Fledge, since the others couldn't even roll him onto his side."   
Zelda slowly turned to him with the most confused expression, before laughing at the mental image of it all. It was relieving to hear they all still had a good time after she left. Though, she still felt awful for doing so. 

The pair met everyone else at the plaza. Zelda assumed that her father had made everyone aware of the plans for her to guide them, since they all had their eyes on her as she approached. A horrible feeling resided in her gut, and she trembled from nervousness. .   
"All these people are going to depend on me." She let her mind say. Quickly, she forced her words out. 

"Everyone!" Zelda called out. Her voice was a little shaky, which made Link glance at her for a moment. "Are we ready to depart?"  
The crowd let out a thunderous yes in unison. Gaepora stepped forward, and gave his daughter a big hug.   
"I'm going to miss you, my darling. Please do keep in contact."   
"Don't worry!" Zelda reassured him. "I'll send my loftwing to give you letters."   
"Let's hope it doesn't spit the letters at your father." Link muttered jokingly.   
"Oh, ho!" The elder laughed. "It seems that is only an issue for you, Link."

Zelda was the first to jump off of the ledge, and then everyone all took off. Link emerged from the group, and flew alongside her. The two looked back at the remaining Skyloft residents.  
They all waved the departing group goodbye, as the flyers went diving towards the Earth below. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cloud of colourful birds and their riders glided across an area near Faron Woods. It looked perfect for settling for a while; it had a river that ran alongside a large clearing. The enormous area of plain grass seemed like a good place to set camp. Link shouted for everyone to follow them, and began diving towards the area below. 

Once the group had finished landing on the soft grass, the new visitors leaped off of their loftwings. Everyone gasped at the mind-blowing scenery. Being so used to having a limited amount of foliage, their senses were completely overstimulated by everything the world had to offer. The sweet perfume of lush grass and pungent flowers filled their nostrils, and the trees were of species that the people had never seen before, making them fascinating to look at. Unlike Skyloft's dryer, spongier grass, the grass here was much softer and moist under their feet. 

"So yeah, back there, I came looking for Zelda myself and bravely landed alone. Sure, it was dangerous, but there's nothin' Groose can't handle!" Link overheard a familiar someone bragging to his two friends as he was untying the bags from his crimson loftwing.   
Cawlin edged in closer.   
"Woah, really? You came down here all alone?! How did you not die?!"   
"Well first, the trees slowed me down, and I became tangled in the branches. Once I cut myself free, I was surrounded by a herd of vicious bokoblins! 10 of 'em! But they were no match for these fists. Little puny things-" 

Link rolled his eyes and chuckled. He'll never forget when that guy screamed because he saw some tiny birds. Groose shot a deadly glare at the other, mentally telling him to shut it.   
"Why is he laughing?" Cawlin asked.   
"Oh! I was just thinking about when Groose bumped into a goron."   
The tall boy's face suddenly burned as red as his hair. He was caught in the act of excessive lying.   
Stritch raised and eyebrow. "I thought you said you were on your own?" 

Ignoring the two's questions, Groose continued to stare at the Link. He forced himself to calmly and confidently dismiss what he said.   
"Oh, whatever. Just because I bumped into you doesn't mean I didn't fight my own battles, y'know." 

The hero thought he'd let him keep his pride, and turned back to attend to the bags. After all, if it wasn't for Groose's help, who knows what situation they'd be in right now. He found the boy's desperate attempts to seem cool really amusing to watch anyway. 

Cawlin turned to Groose. "Wait, what's a Goron?!" 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Go on, you can roam freely again now." Zelda spoke softly to her blue bird. She had just finished untying the belongings from the creature, and gave them a gentle pat on the neck. Effortlessly, the loftwing flapped it's enormous wings, and leaped into the air. Soon, everyone else's loftwings were unloaded, and theirs did the same. 

"We should start setting up camp here. We also need to collect some firewood." Zelda announced to her people. 

Groose threw his arms over Pipit and Link's shoulders, while looking over at Cawlin and Stritch. "We can go 'n' sort out the firewood, can't we boys?" The others agreed, and so off they went into the forest.

"We should start setting up the tents." Karane said, while staring at the mountain of bags that had been dumped down. Consequently, the large remainder of the group began laying out the fabrics and poles on the ground.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the early morning sun grew more intense, it's warmth beamed down onto the panting boys.   
"Aw man, this sucks! I didn't know that cutting trees was this difficult!" Cawlin groaned, wiping away the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. 

Link covered his mouth as he let out an eye-watering yawn.   
"Jeez," Pipit said. "What's the matter with you? You haven't stopped yawning all day. And no offence, you look like you haven't slept in 6 years."   
"Yeah, I know." Link sighed. "Just some late nights recently."   
Groose snickered and elbowed Stritch's side. "Of course he's been havin' late nights since Zelda came back, if ya know what I mean." The three burst into laughter.   
The hero turned to them, unamused. "Don't joke about that."   
"Aw come on, Link. It's only a joke. We know you haven't made a single move yet anyway." 

Link suddenly froze and tightened the grip on his axe. His cheeks burned furiously from embarassment; his eyes shifted to the floor.   
"We- we're kinda busy with everything at the moment. Moving and all. She has a lot to do."

The boys edged in closer, suddenly interested. Cawlin spoke up. "So you've confessed?!"  
As if the green-clothed boy couldn't get any more embarrassed, his cheeks flushed even darker. He struggled to get his words out.   
"...No. But-"   
Pipit joined the conversation again. "Aw come on, Link! Just talk to her already!" 

Still avoiding the others' confrontational stares, the hero remained silent. He knew Pipit was right, but there was something just always stopping him from doing it. No time ever felt like the right time, and seeing how distressed Zelda was the night before, perhaps it wasn't best to anytime soon. 

After a moment's silence, Stritch spoke up.   
"Hey, we've been logging for hours! I think we should take a break now."  
Pipit nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me." 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, guys! You're back!" Zelda cheerily said.   
Pipit replied. "Yeah, we thought we'd have a quick break." 

Orielle smiled at the boys. "That's good, I just finished preparing the pumpkin pie I brought with us, do you want some?" The offer delighted them, and then they followed. Groose glanced back and forth between Zelda and Link, before giving the smaller boy a shove in her direction. "Hey- ah!" Link hissed as he stumbled towards her. The group of boys snickered. Link's glare was met with a playful wink from the red-head. Zelda raised an eyebrow at the boys' odd behaviour, but shrugged it off. 

"Link! I set up your tent for you!" The girl said cheerily, as she began walking. The other smiled. "Really? Thanks!" 

Zelda stopped when she got to Link's neatly set up beige tent.  
"I wasn't trying to be nosey, but as I moved your things, I saw a part of this really weird mechanical object. Is that yours?!"   
Link tilted his head. "Mechanical thing...? Oh! You mean the Beetle!"

The two sat inside of the tent. Zelda watched in curiosity as Link's hand rustled around inside his brown leather satchel. He pulled out the Tough Beetle, earning an amazed gasp from the girl.   
"What is this thing?!" She asked. The hero handed his friend the item. She examined it with fascinated eyes, and rotated it in her hands.   
"It's a flying robot that grabs objects for you." He explained.   
"No way!!" 

Zelda looked up at Link with a twinkle in her eyes, and a small pout on her lips. The other felt fuzzy looking at his friend's adorable expression. He knew what she was going to say next.   
"Pleaseeee can you show me?"  
Without hesitation, Link nodded with a smile. They got out of the tent hastily. 

Zelda led him to a tall apple tree a little away from the campsite. "I wanted to collect some apples earlier, but they were too high up. Perhaps your beetle could get them?"   
Link nodded and slipped on the golden bracelet which perched the robot. He narrowed his eyes to focus on his aim, before releasing the winged machine. Zelda gasped and watched in amazement as he gently controlled the beetle through the air. Just as he said it would, it snatched the apple off of the tree, and returned promptly. Link handed the apple to his friend, who stared down at it, mouth agape. 

"Link..." He heard her say through her hair. Suddenly, her head snapped back up, her eyes were full of excitement as she pounced on to him. "Can I try?! Please please PLEASE can I?! It looks so fun!!"   
The boy laughed and agreed. He loved seeing her so happy. He put the bracelet on her.   
"Wow!" Zelda said. "This is a lot heavier than I thought."   
Link supported her arm so that she could aim better.   
"Okay so, when you want to release it, press this button. But be careful, because to begin with, it's not easy to control-"   
Before he could finish, the Beetle darted off into the sky. Zelda's arm movements were too drastic for the Beetle to handle, so it started swerving through the air.   
"L-Link! It's going too fast!!"

Link grabbed hold of her arm again to try and make it calm down, but it was too late. The machine was twisting and turning in all directions until it flew into the trees and charging towards the camp. The two gasped in horror.   
"Call it back! Call it back!" The boy shouted in a panicked tone. Zelda cried back.  
"I don't know how!" 

Zelda was flaying her arm around too much for Link to find the button, when suddenly they began to hear screams in the distance. Just as the knight's finger felt the button, a loud scream filled the forest.

"AAAAAAAGH!' A familiar voice cried out. The entire area fell silent. Link and Zelda slowly shared a look as if to say "we're screwed". Emerging from the trees was an angry Groose, and like a star on top of a Christmas tree, layed the Beetle tangled in his red pointy hair. The pair were speechless- and stared at him in horror. The taller boy's eyes were wide open, and full of fury. All of the blood in his body was rushing to his reddening face. With clenched fists and gritted teeth, he quietly growled at the two. 

Zelda stared at him, her expression full of guilt. She didn't know what to say. "S-sorry..."


	3. Conflict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's now the evening of the first day on the Surface. It's safe to say that this isn't a very cheery first night for Zelda and Link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!! 
> 
> Honestly I feel kinda eeee about this chapter n I really struggled writing it because I just can't write even slightly emotional stuff to save my life 😩😂 However, all won't be sad forever, so hopefully even if this isn't the best, there's more cheery stuff to come! 
> 
> Once again, if you'd like to see read this and see story-related doodles/Zelda themed drawings, head over to @new.horizons_ss on Instagram! 
> 
> Thank you so much for everyone who's supporting this! Ilysm :)) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy ig????? :)

As a reward for everyone's hard work today, Piper carefully prepared a large bubbling pot of vegetable stew, using the natural mushrooms, carrots and other findings within the wilderness. The late evening brought on a chilly breeze, that, thanks to the boys' woodcutting earlier, made the large crackling bonfire all the more pleasant to sit beside. 

Groose hummed in delight. "Wow, this is delicious, Piper! Ya always know how to make somethin' amazing outta nothin'." 

The woman stirred the stew with her enormous wooden ladle. "Ah, you do learn these things as you get older! There's times when you don't always have the ingredients you need, so you learn to overcome."   
Piper turned to the large boy, with her ladle full of stew. "Would you like seconds?"   
Eagerly, Groose leaned forwards, with a big smile. He held out his already empty bowl. "Yeah, sure! Thanks." 

"Gee, it's not like we didn't have an enormous buffet last night or anything." Pipit jokingly muttered.   
"Oh, shut up." Groose replied, rolling his eyes. "I busted my backside off workin' out there today! Can't a man eat like one?"   
Pipit crossed his arms and smirked. "I gotta admit, we did a pretty good job today! What's the plan tomorrow, Zelda?" 

Zelda blinked at the boy, once again remembering that it was her job to manage everyone. Her friends all looked over to her, waiting for her to respond. The sudden attention made her freeze up. Pipit tilted his head. "Well?"   
"S-sorry! I was just thinking." She stuttered nervously. "Now that we have everything set up for now, perhaps tomorrow we can just take a break. Go and explore if you like." 

"Ahh, sweet!" Karane exclaimed. "Exploring should be pretty safe now, right?" 

Cawlin added to the conversation. "Yeah! Why wouldn't it be? Link and Zelda did all the super cool hero stuff, and got rid of the evil and all that." 

Link shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He thought of a reply, but didn't dare say it out loud. "Perhaps we are safe," 

He looked up at the sky. 

"For now." 

Groose interrupted the brief moment of silence.   
"So when are we gonna start building homes here in Grooseland?" 

Everyone yelled back in unison. "WE ARE NOT CALLING IT 'GROOSELAND'!"   
"Alright, geeze. Take a joke you guys."   
"Oh we know you're not." Pipit replied. 

Everyone began talking about their dream lives down in this mysterious new world. They talked about how Stritch wanted to live in the wilderness like an animal, and how Cawlin wanted to use the empty land to create the world's largest slip and slide. Pipit mentioned how he wanted to keep a bokoblin as a pet, and Groose, well, Groose basically dreamed about world domination. 

Karane glared at the boys in judgingly. "You guys are so weird. I just want to stroll through the tall grass and relax in nature, not feeling a care in the world." 

Zelda stared at her friend as she spoke. It was nice to imagine her own future like that too. It would be nice to just feel so...free. So free from the responsibilities, the titles the world has given her, everything. 

Karane turned to Link. "What about you, Link?"  
The hero suddenly snapped up, having previously been deep in thought. Accidentally, he made eye contact with Zelda.   
"I... think I agree with you, Karane."   
He looked off into the distance. "It'd be nice to not care about anything anymore." 

Zelda's eyes lowered to her half-eaten bowl of stew. A feeling of disappointment sat in her chest. Everyone was so able to live so freely, and while she didn't wish anyone else her role, she was also envious. 

There was something about hearing Link say the same thing that ate at her. She hoped to live a normal life by his side again. She couldn't do what he wanted. It was his right to go and live his dreams, even if it meant Zelda backing off from him a bit. 

Suddenly, the Goddess stood up. "I'm sorry to be so abrupt, but I'd like to excuse myself now." Everyone's eyes landed on the girl, confused. With the fakest polite smile plastered on her face, she thanked Piper for dinner, and quickly gave her her half-full bowl. The group was silent as they watched her hastily pace away. 

"Uh...Where is Zelda going?" Karane asked in a whisper. Everyone shrugged and shook their heads, explaining that they were just as confused as she was. 

Link watched his friend in confusion as she walked away. Without really giving it much thought, he decided to get up and follow her. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Something must've been really upsetting her, because she walked off incredibly quickly. It didn't take long for Link to lose sight of her at all. The darkness of the night made it nearly impossible to navigate his way through the forest.

After multiple moments of walking into trees, cobwebs, and occasionally tripping over into bundles of thick brambles, he finally reached a small, beautiful, moonlit clearing. 

Beside a beautiful flower bed sat Zelda, who delicately traced the soft petals with her fingertips. He admired how the moonlight gave her an ethereal glow, which highlighted her beautiful face and long, soft hair. The quiet sound of footsteps grabbed the girl's attention. Before anything was said, Link slowly sat down beside her. Zelda returned to looking at the flowers. 

While admiring them, she started talking. "I'm thinking of starting a journal. To document all the wild plants down here. Even along my travels to the springs, I saw so many beautiful flowers."   
"You should do it." Link said with a small smile, confused why she started talking about such a random topic right. He assumed it was a way of trying to fill the awkward silence. Despite her efforts, it didn't take long for the same atmosphere to return. 

"You seemed upset." Zelda spoke. The boy was surprised she had noticed. He didn't want to share with her, especially since he wanted to find out what was bothering her more. She was his priority. 

He shook his head, and claimed there was nothing wrong. Before she could argue, Link turned the conversation around.  
"You seemed upset too, so I followed you." 

Zelda was never any good at hiding her emotions, so she didn't try to force a smile. Instead, she lowered her head so her face was hidden, and pursed her lips.   
"What's wrong?" Link asked quietly.   
After a moment of her being unresponsive, the other decided to nudge her with a "hm?".   
"It's nothing, don't worry about it."   
Link looked over to her with a sad expression. "But I do worry about you."   
A sad smile slipped past Zelda's lips. It pained her to see how nice he was to her. He was always so willing to put her first, but right now it was the last thing she needed to see.   
The boy continued. "You were upset last night, too. I feel like something is really wron-"   
"Link, I'm fine." She said sharply.   
The boy opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. The irritated look in her eyes made him realise enough was enough. 

Zelda let out a sigh, and spoke with a weak, sad tone in her voice.   
"I'm really sorry, but I think I just need some time alone." 

Link blinked at her, feeling hurt and confused. He stood up. "Can you please at least come back to the campsite? Just so that I know you're safe."  
Zelda let out an irritated sigh. "I'm not a child any more!" As much as she dreaded the large task ahead of her, she could at least tell herself that she was more than able to do SOME things alone.  
"I-I didn't mean it like that!"

The girl could see that her friend was backing down, but she let her emotions escape, and took her frustration and sadness out on him once again.   
"I'm more than capable of doing things alone! I don't need anyone watching over me anymore! I am the Goddess, after all!" 

Deep down, she knew that she meant those words more for herself than for him. She couldn't let him get tangled up in her issues again. She had to do things alone. Or, that's what she was forcing herself to believe. 

The moment Zelda said what she said, she instantly regretted it. She felt something tear apart inside as she watched her friend's expression fall. Link sighed and rubbed his forearm as if to comfort himself. He frowned sadly at the ground, avoiding her intense stare. He pursed his lips. 

For a moment, she stared at him, lips parted, unsure of what to say. No words came to mind, so the girl ultimately decided to leave, to stop the situation from getting any worse.   
She got up, walked past the boy, and headed back towards the campsite. 

Link stood alone in the darkness, lost in thought. He was confused, but even more so hurt. What was wrong with her? What went so wrong? Did he say or do something?   
Everything was fine! He had saved her, and brought her back to the people she loved. He hoped that after everything that had happened, he could hold her and never let go. He hoped that they could make up for the time they had lost, and have the happy ending he always wanted. But she was being so cold to him, and he had no idea why. 

Perhaps, right now, it was best to just leave her alone.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Link stared up at the ceiling of his tent. It had been a few hours since everyone had gone to bed; the campsite was filled with silence. Ever since what had happened, nights had always felt lonely. The only thing that accompanied him was the ominous sounds of the howling wind. He tossed and turned, trying to get to sleep, but he couldn't. His eyelids felt heavy, but his exhaustion was being faught off by the tightness in his chest, and the dark thoughts that lurked in the back of his mind. 

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that he passed out. But even then, unconsciousness still wouldn't distract him. There, he saw that familiar wicked face, which laughed devilishly at him. He saw his firey hair, which matched his burning hatred and rage.   
Alongside Demise stood Girahim once again, who watched him with an evil smirk on his lips. Oh how he wanted to lunge at them, how he wanted to rip them limb from limb, for what they did. 

But the damage was done, and they were gone. Yet, the satisfaction of ending the fight wasn't truly there. They may be sealed away, but nothing could stop them from lurking in the back of Link's mind. 

Without blinking, Link glared at the two in the distance. With their crazy eyes full of malice, they stared back. The demon lord crossed his arms, and let out a laugh. "This isn't over, human." 

Several images began flashing before Link's eyes. Fire. Burning buildings. People running. His ears rung with the sounds of blood-curdling screams. 

The deep, hoarse voice of Demise spoke up. "History is doomed to repeat itself."

A white dot pierced through the darkness. As it came closer, it resembled the shape of a person. Before Link knew it, Zelda stood in front of him, dressed in her white prayer gown. She looked over her shoulder to see him, her eyes displaying an emotion he couldn't quite understand. Perhaps it was fear, lament, or something else. 

With a hysterical laugh, Girahim pulled out his long, dark sword, and rushed over to her. Link gasped in horror, and darted over to stop him. The villain readied his sword. 

"We will be back again, and we will destroy everything." 

And with that, he forced his sword into her chest. The agonising shriek was the last thing Link heard. 

The hero was sucked back into reality as he suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. He struggled to regulate his breathing as he was gasping for air. It had happened again. 

"Those like you... Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse." 

Link returned to staring up at the ceiling of his tent, rubbing his eyes. 

He didn't regret deciding to come and live down on the Surface. The land was beautiful, like paradise. He loved the way Zelda's eyes lit up with excitement at the thought of them moving. However, it only took time for the relief of the adventure being over to wear off, and for the realisation that maybe they weren't so free after all to kick in. 

Perhaps Demise's words weren't a curse. Perhaps they were just mutters of vengeful wishes, as he slowly died an agonising death. As much as he would like to believe that, his world was too carefully created by the gods of old. If he could be the hero of legend, and Zelda could harness the power of the Goddess, then it wouldn't seem too unrealistic to believe him. The harsh reality loomed over his head. The reality that this land...was doomed. 

Maybe he wouldn't ever see the day they returned, but he hated the thought of him, his friends, future generations to come, one day somehow being affected by this evil once again. Right now, everyone is building upon the land, working towards establishing a civilization here. But, what if one day, that same civilization is brought to its knees? What if everyone's efforts up until then was all for nothing? 

He remembered that Zelda knew nothing about Demise's words, and had no idea if he should ever tell her.  
It was a hard concept to wrap his head around. The thought of...her family experiencing the same horror she did. He'd never forget seeing the terror in her eyes, how weak and frail she was from her journey pushing her to the limit, how terrified he was as Demise absorbed her power, or how she was thrown to the ground. He'd hate to think what would've happened that day if Groose hadn't caught her. Link winced at the thought of it. 

After seeing everything that happened, he couldn't get rid of the need to make sure she's safe. His adventure was an emotional rollercoaster; constantly asking himself when he was ever going to see her again. Or, IF he was going to see her again. He didn't want to worry about that anymore, but rather just live almost as if things had gone back to the way they always were. But now on top of everything else, it seems like his friend too was dealing with her own grief. 

He thought that it was ironic that he too was keeping his problems from her, but he still wished she would open up to him.


	4. Awkward Atmospheres

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the pair's slight conflict the night before, Zelda and Link are on funny terms, which makes the following day all the more awkward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope these notes aren't getting super annoying but hey I just love chatting utter shit in this little text box for no good reason 😂 
> 
> The views on AO3 and my number of followers on Instagram have been growing quite a lot recently and I'm ever so grateful for all of you who's checked it out! 😭💕💕
> 
> Once again, to read the story and see drawings related to the story (I'm gonna try and do more artwork soon), and any other things like dtiys os something then head over to @new.horizons_ss on Instagram!! ♥️ 
> 
> Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy! :))

The following day, an dreadful silence sat among the group over breakfast, as they could all feel the newfound tension. The chinking sounds of spoons in bowls was the only sound that filled the air. Zelda slowly ate her bowl of oatmeal while staring at the floor, completely zoned out. Opposite her, Link silently played with the food, repeatedly picking up a spoonful and letting it drip back down into the bowl. Everyone kept sharing awkward glances with one another, especially at the two's glum expressions. Karane made eye contact with Groose, who sat opposite her. "What's up with them?" She mouthed. The boy subtly shrugged his shoulders and gestured as if to say "I don't know". 

After a few more moments of painful silence, Groose decided to be the first one to make conversation. "So, uh, Zelda! What are you going to be doing today?" He said loudly, forcing her out of her daze.  
Zelda suddenly blinked and sat upright. "Oh!" She laughed, with a very forced smile. "Today I'm going to check on the Sealed Temple, make some notes. The Triforce will still need checking on, too."  
The way she spoke was sickly sweet. It made the group raise eyebrows at her, as they could see right through her facade. 

Soon after everyone was finished, the group began getting ready for the day. Little to Link's surprise, everyone had already made plans and grouped together. Groose had his friends, Pipit and Karane were obviously going to want to have their privacy, and because of what happened last night, he assumed he wasn't invited to join Zelda in doing her activities, and so he'd just have to awkwardly stay behind.

Speaking of, Link was helping the mothers put the dishes away, when the girl came walking past. The pair happened to lock eyes momentarily, and looked away just as quickly. Zelda looked down to the floor, feeling incredibly guilty; Link turned back to the dishes, feeling rejected. 

"Hey, Link!" called out Karane as she walked over to him. "We've all noticed you and Zelda have been acting funny this morning. Aren't you tagging along with her today?" 

Link awkwardly scratched the back of his head; his gaze shifted to the floor. "Uhhh..."  
The red-head tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean? Did something happen between you two?"  
"Honestly, I don't know..."  
Karane accusingly prodded the boy in the chest, pushing him backwards. An angry, defensive look resided in her eyes.  
"You didn't hurt her, did you?!" 

Link stepped back in shock, feeling offended that she would even think that of him.  
"What?! No! You know I would never do that! She just seems a bit stressed right now, and... she seems a bit irritated by me."  
The girl calmed her expression, withdrew her finger and sighed. "She has been upset a lot recently... Well, I hope that she confides in someone soon. It's horrible not seeing her cheery self around here."  
"Yeah." 

Karane put her hands on her hips. "Well, what do you plan to do today then?"  
"I'll find something to do." Link replied, shrugging his shoulders.  
She looked over to Pipit who was waiting for her in the distance.  
"Well, me and Pipit are gonna be going to this cave we found. I doubt you'd want to, but you're welcome to come find us and hang out."  
Link forced a polite smile. It was nice for her to offer, but he thought that, considering the girl he actually likes doesn't even want to be near him right now, being a third wheel with another mushy couple instead was probably a bit much for him.  
"Thank you."  
"Well, see you later Link! Gotta go!" The girl dismissed herself cheerily. The hero watched her happily skip up to her boyfriend, who grabbed her by the waist and whispered something in her ear. The girl giggled and blushed at whatever he said. Link rolled his eyes. 

Without another second passing, it was Groose's turn to interrogate him on the situation. After explaining, the larger male scratched his head and frowned.  
"That's odd... Well, me and the boys are gonna go find bomb flowers to put in bug nests, wanna come?"  
Link cringed at the thought of it. Being stuck with those three annoying, wreckless guys all day? And blowing up insects for the fun of it?

Link forced another one of his polite smiles. "No, but thanks for the offer." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

After a short journey wading through the tall grass, Zelda made it to the Sealed Temple. Standing out in the courtyard, she looked up at the grand statue of Hylia, where the golden triforce floated upon. The relic shimmered in the sunlight, reflecting rays of light in every direction. 

The girl pulled out her leather notebook out of her bag, and sat down on the ground in front of the stone structure. The silence was odd, but rather pleasant. Her life has been so chaotic in the last few weeks that it was nice to listen to the rustling of leaves in the trees, and the colourful little birds that sat among them. It had felt like an eternity since she felt so at ease. 

She looked around at the circular stone platform she sat on, and a memory came to mind. One of the last memories before everything happened took place right in that spot. Her and Link had just wrapped up the Wing Ceremony Celebration. Although the memory made her lips twitch into a smile, she also felt a twinge of guilt. She had been really mean to him recently, even after everything he had done for her.  
"I'll apologise to him later." She thought to herself. She knew he'd understand. 

For now, she had notes to be focusing on.  
"Dwellers of the sea, sand and rock." She muttered to herself. With her piece of charcoal, she began roughly sketching out a map of the land, based off of her current knowledge. Lanayru Desert to the West, Eldin mountain up North, and the woodlands to the East- where she is now. She let out a thoughtful hum. "So these "sand dwellers" must be somewhere around Lanayru way, the "rock dwellers", perhaps a mountainous region such as Eldin, but the people of the sea? Where could they be?"

As the sun and the clouds slowly drifted across the sky, Zelda scribbled away on her papers: trips to her planned areas, how to get there, and future plans for what to do with the Triforce. 

Once she took a break from those notes, she admired the variety of colourful flowers the scenery had to offer. She watched in contempt as they gently swayed in the warm breeze. Being the bookworm she is, she flipped to a new page in her journal, and began creating a guide for all of these beautiful plants. She wasn't the best drawer, but she carefully tried to capture their distinctive details.  
In the midst of her oddly therapeutic drawing session, she heard a familiar sounding shriek nearby. 

"KWEEEEEEE!!" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

The sound stretched so far, it echoed into the cave Pipit and Karane were exploring.

"Did you hear that?" The girl asked the other.  
"Yeah!" He replied. "I don't know what it is, but it sounds like someone needs our help!"  
The boy pulled out his sword. "Good thing we brought these, just in case." Karane pulled out her weapon as well.  
Without another word, the pair dashed out of the dark cave, and into the woods. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

After basically being abandoned, the older campers were more than willing to accept Link into their little social circle. Despite his best efforts to be polite, he couldn't help but find the literal mother's meeting to be such a bore. However, Mallara made the best cups of fruit tea. The red juice was warm in his hands, and always had that satisfying aftertaste that was sweet like honey. 

Suddenly, everyone heard the screech too, making their heads turn to the forest. "What was that?" Piper questioned, frowning.  
Link gasped. "The Kikwi's! They're in trouble!" "The what now?" Dovos asked. 

Link quickly put the mug down and rushed out of his seat. He paused before he got too far, turned around and thanked them, as it would be rude to leave so abruptly without saying anything. "Thank you for everything. I'll be back soon, hopefully. Thank you for the tea, Mallara."  
The woman gave him a cheery smile. "You're welcome, Link. Stay safe!" 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda hurriedly tucked all over her notes into a satchel and darted off into Faron Woods. As she ran through, everything seemed relatively fine, until she recognised a horn noise.  
"Bokoblins, again!" She hissed. 

Coming around a corner, she stopped in her tracks, digging her heels into the grass. A Kikwi was on their belly, cowering in fear. A herd of snarling bokoblins circled them, almost dancing in excitement over their prey. Zelda watched in horror as one of them began to raise it's large blade, with a maniacal smile on its face.  
"NO!" The girl cried, as the creature had it's blade in the air, ready to slash at any moment. 

Suddenly, all their heads snapped round to face the girl, and the evil beasts began to pace towards her instead. The Kikwi slowly raised their head to make sure they were safe, and squealed in shock as it watched the monsters move towards her.  
Zelda stepped backwards, not taking her eyes off of the enemies. Her legs turned to jelly, feeling like there was no way out of this scenario. After some more steps backwards, her back hit a wall behind her. She was trapped. The bokoblins stared at her with their wild eyes and disgusting smiles, eagerly preparing to attack. 

Just as she thought there was no way out, she heard rapid footsteps growing louder. "Link?" She thought to herself. 

Emerging from the trees were Pipit and Karane, to her surprise. With all their might, they sprinted towards the bokoblins, and before they got a change to react, they lunged with their swords and pierced right through the chests of two of them. No longer being puppets made of malice, their bodies fell pathetically to the ground, rather than the expected burst into a puff of smoke. No time was wasted as the pair moved on to the next two nearest bokoblins. 

In the corner of Zelda's eye, she saw Link darting towards them as well, sword drawn and a determined look on his face. He let out his usual battle cry, and effortlessly swiped his sword sideways, taking out two other bokoblins in one hit. Within moments, the three defeated all of the monsters. 

The sounds of heavy breathing filled the silence as they put their swords back into their sheaths. Once they had caught their breath, Karane flung her arms around her friend. "Oh Zeldy! We came just in time! I'm glad you're safe!"  
"We heard a squeal!" Pipit explained. "We thought someone was in danger! But… that sound... wasn't you...right?" He asked hesitantly, not wanting to offend her, but also being a bit weirded out if that animalistic screech was her.  
"Kwee!" 

The four turned around to see the strange little creature.  
"GAH!" Pipit and Karane screamed, jumping back in fear. The Kikwi let out a frightened scream again at their sudden movements, and went back to it's usual hiding position. The pair stared in confusion. After a moment, the Kikwi raised his head slowly, and looked at Link. "It's you again! You're the green man who saved us!" 

Link bashfully smiled. "Yeah I am, and these are my friends."  
The Kikwi scanned the group of people, until they looked at Zelda on the end, and gasped. "It's you!" They exclaimed. "You're the girl that was attacked by the bokoblins! And the girl that Mr Hero kept talking about!"

Link looked away from the others, feeling his cheeks starting to burn up. Pipit crossed his arms and gave him a side-eyed glance with a smirk. 

"I remember you too!" Zelda said with a cheery smile.  
The Kikwi turned to Pipit and Karane. "I'm Machi! I'm a Kikwi. You people come in all colours, don't you!"  
The red-head laughed. "I'm Karane. It's nice to meet you."  
The other boy spoke slowly, still slightly alarmed by the peculiar creature. "I'm...Pipit..."  
"You guys got here really fast!" Machi said, referring to the couple. "If you had got here any later, who knows what could have happened! I don't want to think about it!" 

Link clenched his jaw, and had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Machi was right, if Pipit and Karane hadn't got there before him, he'd hate to think about what could've happened. He didn't get there soon enough. Although part of him argued that he couldn't help but get there when he did, another part of him says that he should've done a better job to protect her. He was too late, again. 

"Well, I should get back to the others!" Spoke the Kikwi. "I hope to see you again!" And with that, they turned around and dashed away on their little legs. The newcomers continued to watch in confusion.  
"Zelda," Karane turned to face the Goddess. "What are you planning to do now?"  
"I'm probably going to carry on with my research, if that's okay?"  
The other girl nodded then proceeded to give her an angry lecture. "Okay, but please don't scare us like that again! Stay in the temple!"  
"Okay! Okay!" 

The group decided to walk with Zelda on her way back to the temple, so that they could ensure she was safe. Once they reached the entrance, the couple bid farewell, leaving the rather awkward pair alone. Not knowing what else to do, Link kicked the dirt with his boot. Zelda silently turned to face him, her expression anxious. The other looked up as well. Both of them parted their lips as if they were going to say something, but neither really knew what to say. Instead, Link forced a smile, which didn't mask his sad expression well.  
"I should probably get going, I kind of ran away from the others back at the campsite." He joked.

Just as he went to walk away, Zelda grabbed his arm. "No, wait! Link, I'm sorry about last night. It's just-"  
"Don't worry about it." He replied reassuringly. He forced another smile. "I'll see you later."  
Zelda stood silently as she watched him disappear. Despite her efforts to isolate herself she realised that nothing made her feel more lonely than watching her friend leave her like that. The strong feelings of guilt still resided in her. She didn't feel like doing her notes anymore. 

Link wasn't sure if it was weird or not, but he didn't head back to the campsite. Instead, he decided to secretly sit outside of the temple, just in case something happened again. She may not want him around right now, but he couldn't dare let something happen to her again. 

He admired the butterflies and crickets that emerged from the tall grass around him, and enjoyed the warm sun on his skin.


	5. Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda finally opens up to Link about the things that's been troubling her, which ends with them becoming the inseperable pair the always were again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally this was going to be a part of Chapter Four, but since it was MASSIVE I decided to basically split it in half and make two, hence me posting again so soon! 
> 
> To still read the story, see doodles related to the story, and possibly other Zelda-related artwork, head over to @new.horizons_ss on Instagram! 
> 
> Thank you so much for all of your love and support it means the world to me 💕💕 Reading comments and messages honestly make my day :)) 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

"What on earth has gotten into Zelda recently?" Cawlin asked bluntly. Everyone looked shocked at the blue-haired kid, but no one could really argue, as they had all noticed her unfamiliar behaviour. Everyone had seen her often feel so low, and nobody knew why. 

"There's got to be something she just isn't telling us." Karane added.  
Pipit spoke up. "I don't mean to sound nasty to the girl, but if she's going to be our leader, she can't just keep moping around like this!"

Groose, Stritch and Cawlin's eyes suddenly widened, and all colour had vanished from their face as if they had seen a ghost. Everyone turned to face the way they were looking. There, Zelda stood.  
Everyone held their breath, in utter shock that she had just heard them. As soon as the attention was on her, her eyes went from them down to her hands. Her hair hid her reddening face. She fiddled with her fingers nervously. "I'm...really sorry, that I can't be the person you all want me to be." Her voice was weak, like she was crying. 

Everyone exchanged guilty looks, not knowing what to do. without another moment passing, the Goddess turned around and started running off. Karane glared at Pipit. "Way to go!" She scowled.  
The yellow clad knight turned red and held his hands up in defense."I-I didn't think she was there!" 

Everyone suddenly turned their attention to Link. Without saying a word, they all knew he was going to be the one to follow her. The hero looked at all of their expressions, and gave them a small nod, before going off after her. 

To the left, to the right, and to the left again. Link ran through the dense woodland in the direction he thought his friend had gone. Soon he found himself turning on his heels, getting completely lost. The evening was drawing in, making it once again difficult to find his way. After what felt like an eternity, he reached a stone wall. The Sealed Grounds. 

Looking up at the sky, the boy saw the giant statue of Hylia tower over him. On the ledge of the structure sat Zelda, bidding farewell to her blue loftwing. 

A gentle breeze blew through the girl's golden hair as she sat atop the statue. She dangled her legs off of the edge, and rested her elbows on her knees. Her lip trembled as she faught the tears that threatened to fall. She felt humiliated after hearing what the others have said about her. She was meant to go on this epic journey to conquer the land but couldn't even be a good leader and role model to her friends. How pathetic. 

She finally gave in to her emotions, and let her tears roll down her cheek. 

Her muffled sobs were silenced by the flapping of wings beside her. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. She listened as she heard her friend sit down beside her, also dangling his legs over the edge. Zelda chewed her thumb. There was a long silence between the two, as Link tried to gather his words. He didn't know what to say, or if to say anything at all, in fear that he'll get turned away again. 

Meanwhile, the girl thought about what to say as well. She knew she couldn't keep going on like this- avoiding the situation. The other dared to rest his hand on her shoulder supportingly. "I don't mean to annoy you, but I hate seeing you upset like this."  
"You're very persistent." She joked. The girl twiddled her thumbs in silence, deciding that it was probably time she spoke up.  
"Link."  
The boy leaned towards her, waiting to hear what she had to say. Zelda turned around to face the other, revealing her reddened face and eyes that shone with glistening tears.  
"I'm so sorry for being so mean to you. You deserve so much better."  
Link spoke up calmly. "Stop that. I told you everything is fine-"  
"No! It was horrible of me to take my emotions out on you. And I just want to probably apologise for that."  
"It's okay." 

There was a slight pause, before Zelda started talking again.  
"I've...just had a lot on my mind recently."  
"Like what?" Her friend said, concerned.  
"Once everything was over, I thought that was it. Things could go back to the way they were before, or, near enough to that."

The boy continued to listen to her. 

"On the night of the little celebration, I wasn't upset with you. Just before you came over, Father spoke to me. He told me that it was important that I come here, in order to reclaim this land, and follow in the Goddess' footsteps. This is her land, and I must nurture it, and support our people. I told Father that it was such a vast task for me to do, that I just wanted to be normal again, but he insisted." 

The girl took in a deep breath.  
"That night, in a dream, she came to me."  
"The Goddess?" Link asked.  
"Yes. She told me the same thing. But, she also told me something new. She said that we're not alone down here. Their kinds are advanced like us. After we banished the evil that plagued this land, new life began to flourish here. It is my duty to seek them out, for they will help us prosper." 

With eyebrows raised, the hero stared at her in surprise. All of the information was so unexpected. 

"I didn't want to tell you, because I don't want to drag you into all of this. This is something that I, as the Goddess reborn, must do. No matter what, I will never be normal, as much as I could hope to be. I will never be free from that title, or the roles that come with it. It's just something that I've got to accept." 

Zelda stared into her friend's eyes; tears blurring her vision, her lip trembling. She swallowed the painful lump in her throat and continued.  
"You are the hero, and you'll always be my hero. But, you don't have to be one any more if you don't want to. You can put your past behind you and be a normal person once again. You can fulfill your dreams and live life without a care in the world, and I don't want to take that away from you. You deserve to be happy, Link." 

At the last part, the girl choked on a sob, and used her sleeve to wipe away the beads of tears that were rolling down her face.

It took a moment for Link to let her words sink in. She... wasn't actually upset with him at all. In fact, it was the opposite. She cared so much that she just didn't know how to tell anyone, especially her best friend. 

The parts where she called him her hero, and said that he deserved to be happy replayed over and over in his mind. Hearing her speak so emotionally started to tug at his own feelings. He blinked away the tears that began to form in his eyes. 

Seeing his friend break down tore his heart to pieces. He just wanted to hold her tightly and to tell her everything was okay. However, in fear it was a bit too bold of a move, he leaned forwards and squeezed her shoulder instead.  
"Hey, come on now. Don't be like that."  
His voice was quiet and gentle, which Zelda found soothing to listen to. Waves of calmness started to wash over her. 

Link took a moment to gather his words. His mind flashed to his own troubles, and memories of Demise. He bit his lip. 

"It's sweet of you to be concerned about me like that, but I don't think things will ever be the same again. There's no use in either of us trying to be like how we were before. I think the only way forward is to create ourselves a new normal, and I'm happy to do that alongside you." 

Zelda looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She questioned him in a very nasally voice, in between sniffs. "What does that mean?" 

Link gave her a warm smile. "It means I don't care about whatever or whoever you need to be. I'll always be beside you. You should know that." 

He paused for a moment, starting to feel himself getting lost into her shining blue eyes.  
"You're my friend, and I care about you a lot. I'd be happy to not be normal with you." 

The other sat there in silence, mouth slightly agape. She felt overwhelmed with emotions. Shocked, relieved...but most importantly, happy. 

Before she figured out what to say next, she noticed Link take in a deep breath. He looked down at the palms of his hands.  
"Do you remember what you told me that day you sealed yourself away? You said that you'll always be my Zelda. No matter who you might be, you've always just been a fun, bubbly, kind Skyloftian girl to me. Sure, I faught off demons because I'm the hero chosen by the Goddess, but I also did what I did to save my friend." 

A pout sat on the girl's lips. "Does this… mean you'll join me?"  
The boy nodded and beamed a smile. "Of course I will! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. It's dangerous to go alone, anyway." 

Zelda's eyes began to well up with tears once again, but this time they were accompanied by a smile from ear to ear. It was always a wonderful feeling to see her smile. Unexpectedly, she dived at the other, nearly sending him over the edge of the platform. "W-woah!" 

The girl wrapped her arms around his waist, and nearly snapped his spine from her tight hug. "Ah!" Hissed Link, wincing in pain.  
"Thank you so much, Link. You're the best. I don't deserve you." 

His expression quickly changed as she buried her head in his chest. The feeling of her being so physically close to him made him fluster immediately, but...he liked it. He could smell her sweet natural perfume, that, like magic, made him feel so at ease. He gently rested his hand on her back, and hoped that the moment would last forever. 

Perhaps Zelda stayed there for longer than intended, but she too was so absorbed into the moment. She liked how perfectly he fit in her arms. Something just felt right. Eventually, she knew they had to pull away. 

"So, uh, I guess you need to to somehow tell the others about what's been going on." The boy spoke, scratching the back of his head. 

"Yeah, it's going to be an interesting conversation." The girl chuckled. "But thank you, Link. If it wasn't for you making me feel better, I wouldn't have ever known what to do." 

"It's nothing. I'm happy you told me."  
The hero gave her a sad stare.  
"If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. I don't like it when you shut me out." 

Zelda took her friend's hand and squeezed it. "I'm still really sorry for that. I won't be like that to you ever again. I promise." 

The pair looked out to the view in front of them. There wasn't a cloud in sight, so the sky was powdered with thousands of twinkling white stars. Even from so far away, the two could see the campsite in the distance. Deep among the trees in the forests below, a warm, orange light glowed. A cloud of thick smoke from the bonfire was drifting up into the air. 

"It's getting late." Link stated. "The others are probably really worried about you. It'd be good to talk to them."  
Zelda agreed. "You're right."

The two stood up. Standing at the edge, Link turned around to give her a look. The other rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to push you this time."  
His expression softened to a more playful one. "I've noticed you like to do that a lot, I was just preparing myself."  
Zelda giggled in response. 

The pair jumped off of the platform, and called for their loftwings. Immediately, the two birds came swooping in and scooped up their masters, carrying them back to the campsite.


	6. Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some.of the group split up to go and look for other resources. Zelda and Link venture along a new forest path, and discover a mysterious place they've never seen before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 200 VIEWS LETS FUCKIN GOOOOOOOOOOO !!!! 
> 
> I love you guys sm you're GREAT!! ♥️♥️♥️
> 
> Don't forget to check me out on instagram at @new.horizons_ss to read the story there and to see story related doodles/artwork! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! I'm actually hella tired and I have no clue if there's loads of errors and I'm too tired to realise 😩😂

Zelda had a new skip in her step after her conversation with Link. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders; she felt oddly happier than she had done for quite a while. With the support of her kind friend, she mustered up the courage to finally talk to everyone about the situation. 

Upon returning to the campsite, she called for everyone to gather round by the fire. Eyes wide and legs like jelly, she stood in front of them, hoping that because of the poor lighting, they wouldn't be able to see her extreme nervousness.

She told them everything: what her father said, Hylia's message to her, and so on. Everyone stared at her without blinking.   
Once Zelda was finished, she played with her fingers anxiously. "So...yeah. I'm really sorry that I've been a bit of a downer recently. I was just stressed and had no idea what to do, or how to tell anyone." 

Pipit looked at her apologetically, and spoke up. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm really sorry for uh, what I said earlier."   
"Yeah, I'm sorry too, Zelda." Cawlin added.   
Zelda smiled at the two boys. "It's okay." 

"Why didja worry about that?" Groose piped up. Everyone turned to him. "We knew ya weren't some ordinary person. Ya most likely would have, er, I don't know, important Goddess stuff to do." 

"Groose is right, to be honest." Said Karane. "But you shouldn't worry about us leaving you to go and do things alone! We're your friends, and now you're our group leader! We'll always support you with whatever it is you need to do."   
The crowd all vocally agreed with the red-head's statement. 

Zelda smiled even brighter. "Thank you. That's really kind of you."   
Everyone began to wrap up the little meeting. Standing near the back was Link, who gave his friend a nod and a proud smile. Catching eyes with him, her lips curled into a grin. 

Soon, everyone went off to bed. Once in her tent, the Goddess rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes. She cuccooned herself in her warm, thick blankets and let out a satisfied hum. She felt like she could finally breathe. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------- 

The morning's warm breeze brushed against Zelda's skin as she stirred from her slumber. Despite only just waking up, she suddenly sprung up, and was ready to start the new day. She peeked through the gaps in her tent's door, and admired how the golden sun's glow that beautifully blended with the clear blue sky. Tiny little birds swooped over the clearing, their sweet chirps filling the air. 

She decided that later today she'd prepare for her journey ahead with Link, and after getting cleaned up and changed, she skipped over to his tent. Now that they were on much better terms, she felt comfortable to be his daily alarm clock once again. 

"Rise and shine sleepy-" Zelda grabbed onto his tent door, and over-excitedly ripped it open. 

"Head...?"

It was a shocking sight for the girl: Link was already awake, again. It was strange to find him sitting up and examining his possessions this early in the morning. Link looked up at her with a bright smile and greeted her. Despite his positive expression, the girl noticed that he seemed...off. She noticed how pale he looked, and how the dark circles and bags under his eyes had grown even more prominent. 

Zelda furrowed her eyebrows.  
"What?" Link asked. A concerned look resided in her eyes.   
"Link... You don't look too good."   
"What do you mean?"   
The girl got in the tent and moved closer to him. Link became flustered at how bold of a move it was for her to just invite herself in like that, especially if someone saw them together this early and got the wrong idea. 

She poked his under-eye, accidentally a little too hard, which made him flinch. He grabbed her hand. "Hey! Ow! You'll take my eye out!"   
"You look like you haven't slept in days!" The girl exclaimed. "I've been seeing you yawning a lot recently. Is something bothering you?" 

Once again, the boy forced another one of his fake reassuring smiles. "I'm fine! There's nothing wrong. I suppose I'm just getting used to our new surroundings so I haven't been sleeping so well."   
Zelda crossed her arms and gave her friend a doubtful stare. "I don't believe you. I swear you've fallen asleep in every place possible! Almost every single class, when we've gone to visit a neighbor, in the Bazaar cafeteria...Heck! Even in the Academy Bathroo-"   
"T-that was ONE TIME!" Link hissed, his cheeks suddenly burning red with embarrassment.   
The girl let out a sigh. "My point is, you seem like you haven't been sleeping well ever since...what happened. Even the night we were in Skyloft, you didn't get any sleep."  
Link's tone was a little firmer. "Zelda, I'm fine! Don't worry about me."  
His friend's expression turned sad. She stared at him, looking mildly hurt.   
"But I do worry about you."   
Link's heart sank as he saw her face fall. He had a pounding headache from the sleep deprivation, as well as the many bottled up thoughts that bounced around in his mind. He watched helplessly as they spiralled out of control, developing into more and more fears and anxieties. They had nowhere to go. 

It was hard to fight the urge to not tell his friend. He wanted to scream that he wasn't okay, that there was just something that didn't feel right about this place. He stared at her beautiful, innocent face. This morning, her eyes were bright and full of positivity. She didn't deserve to have her newly uplifted spirit broken. She didn't deserve to be concerned with another thing, on top of everything else she has to worry about. 

After a moment, he came out of his thoughts, and ignored her concerned looks. He gestured for them to get out of the tent and gave her a gentle smile. "Come on, the others are probably waiting for us." 

Zelda opened her mouth to argue, before letting herself be defeated. He was adamant on not telling her, or at least for now. She supposed that she too had been hiding her thoughts and feelings away from him, so she couldn't blame him for doing the same. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Everyone was gathering around the large platters of bread and vegetables. The group used Link's Tough Beetle to go and badly collect some apples which had now been neatly sliced for serving. Everyone tucked into the meal. Zelda stood up before her people to announce something.   
"I think our next plan is to find more food. Sure, we found mushrooms and apples and things like that, but that along with our other supplies aren't going to keep us going for very long. We need to find more sustainable food sources. So, you know what that means?"   
"More explorin'!" Groose yelled excitedly. 

Parrow piped up. "Me and Orielle can go looking from high above! I loved flying over the treetops yesterday."   
In response, his sister nodded excitedly. 

Everyone began planning things that they were going to do, and after the dishes had been cleaned and put away, everyone began preparing for their adventures. 

Later, everyone met Zelda back in the middle of the campground.  
"Okay so, Groose, Cawlin and Stritch are heading off over there, Parrow and Orielle are looking that way, Karane and Pipit are travelling South, and the rest of you guys are definitely alright to stay here?"   
Everyone agreed to the Goddess' plan, and then she continued.   
"Me and Link are going to be heading North."

Link accidentally let his lip curl into a smug grin, knowing that Zelda just automatically chose him to be with. His expression didn't go unnoticed by Groose, who crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. 

"Please keep in mind that it could be dangerous out there! If you need any help, send your loftwing to get us, and always stay in your groups." 

Zelda felt a bit cheesy talking like that to her former classmates and neighbors, but she was worried about what dangers could still be down here. She was also really starting to take pride in her role as the leader. At the Knight's Academy, she already had some leadership skills, due to her protesting against Groose's bullying and always helping the other students. Her nerdiness in school partially prepared her for this moment. 

A chorus of loud whistles filled the sky, which was responded to by the cawing of the large birds. Soon, everybody hopped on, and was away with the wind. The remaining pair watched as the colourful birds dispersed. Link spoke up.   
"Aren't we going to call our loftwings?"   
Zelda looked at him, smiling.  
"I was thinking that we could go for a little walk instead." 

The girl pointed over to a very inviting opening into the forest. Almost a complete archway, carefully constructed by a bundle of vines and twigs.   
"We should definitely go through this way. It'll be so exciting! Come on!"   
And with that, Zelda grabbed Link's hand and dragged him up the mysterious path up ahead. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

"Isn't this wonderful?!" 

Zelda cheerily twirled around as she paced forwards, staring at the lush green tree tops that towered over the two. A smile escaped the hero's lips while watching his friend. Like a child, the girl was so fascinated by everything around her. Seeing her beautiful blue eyes sparkle with curiosity was just breathtaking. 

"The breeze is so nice and warm today. And the flowers smell amazing." He added. 

Zelda continued to lead Link deeper into the forest; climbing over wobbly rocks that required the two to hold hands for stability, ducking under and breaking through twigs, and wading through the tall grass.

"You know, Link." the girl started. "Thank you, again, for everything. I was always hoping we could spend time together after everything."   
Link could feel his cheeks flush a little bit. "You know that I would always want to do that with you." He spoke gently.   
Zelda held her hand on her chest, and the hero could see a bashful smile on her face, slightly hidden by her golden locks. 

After the two's long peaceful stroll through the woods, Link caught a glimpse of a large shadowy shape through the trees. The two were near to the end of this scenic path. Zelda pushed aside some vines and was met with a large open area, decorated with vast stone buildings covered in patterns and moss, much like the Sealed Temple. Unlike the temple, these buildings were in poor condition- with a sea of debris flooding the area, and a lot of the infrastructure had been ripped apart. By

The boy spoke quietly. "This is a wide open area, we should be careful for any monsters that might be about."  
In response, his friend nodded. 

Something felt different about this place. Unlike the beautiful blue skies they travelled under on the way here, this area was shrouded in dismal grey clouds. A cold breeze blew through the pair's clothes, which nipped at their skin. 

"What is this place? Could it have some connection to the Sealed Temple?" Zelda broke the eerie silence with. 

Upon closer examination, it appeared that these ruins were the remains of a once prosperous town, presumably from the time of the Goddess. Despite the few annoying little bokoblins that had taken residence, the place felt so empty. As they looked around, Zelda had a heavy feeling in her chest. The place looked oddly…familiar. She felt that something bad had happened here, and that it's demolition wasn't a result of just age. 

The two slowly entered the destroyed town, Link sneaking ahead to take out the few monsters that got in their way. Soon, they reached the remains of a small, old building. Inside, it was evident that this was once a person's home. The cold, dusty room had remains of stone furniture and possessions, scattered all over the room. Items had been topped over onto their sides, or broken.   
Link noticed a chest tucked away in the far corner, and by instinct, went over to it to check it out.

Inside, he found a leather book, far beyond aged at this point. The pages were almost stuck together, and were crumbling away as he held it. The boy gently laid the book down on the remains of a desk, and invited Zelda to take a look with him. After gently brushing away the dust and dirt with his fingers, Link discovered a faint print of text on the cover. 

"Diary" the words read. 

The boy carefully examined the book, and opened it on a page which he could split apart.   
The resistance in the pages splitting did mean that parts were damaged and therefore not legible, but the two began to decipher what some of this ancient text said. 

"We d - - 't - - ve m - ch tim - left. Th - - are c - ming - or us."

"Th - y - - ve a l- e - dy tak - n m - son." 

"P - - ase hea - my p - - yres, - odd - ss H-lia." 

After understanding parts of the passage, Zelda sadly looked down at her feet.  
"So this is the lore we were always told as young children. An ancient evil set out to destroy this land and murder our kind." 

As Link put the book back into the chest, the girl continued.  
"An entire civilization crumbled into ruin, hundreds fell victim to the evil's bloody hands. Here where we stand, must be one of the affected areas." 

The two continued walking around the grey land. As they headed towards the centre of this town, there a large circular waterfall sat. It had completely dried up, and half of it had collapsed. What appeared to be a crest of Hylia in the centre of it had too fell to pieces. Along the way, the two came across a grand archway that led into the centre of this ghost town. Zelda stopped and looked up to the piece of infastructure. She furrowed her eyebrows. Something...felt...familiar.... 

Link noticed the girl was standing there, staring for a long time, and got closer to her.   
"Zelda, are you alright?" 

The knight didn't get a reply, as the girl continued to stare up at the archway in silence.   
"Zelda?" 

Zelda could hear the muffled voice of her worried friend slowly fade into silence. Her vision became blurry, and could feel herself falling deeper and deeper into a dream-like state. She blinked, and suddenly saw a firey orange dominate the sky. Link was no longer with her, and the previously demolished infrastructures were no longer withered with age. It was obvious that she was in the distant past. She was having a vision. 

She quickly came to her senses. She could feel the heat of blazing fires that swallowed up the buildings, and hear the blood curdling screams of villagers. Thick, purple malice had oozed its way through the streets. People were running for their lives in all directions, trying to flee from what appeared to be a vast invasion of monsters. The civilians stumbled over one another in a frenzy, while coughing and spluttering from the thick black smoke that had blanketed the town. 

The bulky beasts stomped their way through the town, smashing doors and windows. Buildings came tumbling down, crushing many victims to a painful death. Their screams were muffled as they were suffocated by the debris that buried them. 

Suddenly, a man nearby slowly backed away from an approaching beast. Petrified, he quickly scrambled his way up against a wall which unfortunately left no space between him and the monster. Zelda felt the panic rise in her chest, but as she went to move, she couldn't. There was nothing she could do, and so she had to simply watch in horror at what was next to come.  
The girl's heart pounded in her chest. The moblin slowly began to raise his spear at the trembling villager. 

"No..." she whispered. 

The huge beast brought down his weapon and struck the powerless victim, which was followed by the sound of slicing human flesh that filled Zelda's ears. Agonising screams burst out of the dying man, which enticed the moblin to twist his spear while it was still inside of him.   
The man let out a eardrum-piercing scream.   
Zelda shrieked. "NO!!" 

Soon his cries in pain calmed to staggered breathing, as he coughed up blood that oozed down his chin. With what breath he had left, she heard him whisper. 

"Goddess Hylia...Please save us..." 

The man fell completely limp, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. The moblin turned around and went looking for a new target. The entire thing faded to black. 

The familiar muffled voice slowly returned. 

"Zelda..." 

"Zelda..."

"ZELDA!" 

The girl woke to Link's arms shaking her shoulders violently while he cried out for her to respond. Before she could say anything back, she choked on a sob and fell to her knees. 

"Zelda...?" The boy raised an eyebrow, but worry quickly took over and he knelt on the ground in front of her. His friend covered her face as she sobbed uncontrollably.   
"What happened?" He asked softly. She just continued without answering. 

Link figured she wasn't going to give him an answer for a moment. He watched in shock, having never seen her so upset before. Unsure what to do, he decided to risk it and wrapped his arms around her. He worried it was a bit forward, but he knew he couldn't just leave her sitting there like that. Soon, he felt her hands grip onto his tunic, and she buried her head in his shoulder. Seeing her accept the gesture was relieving, and he was glad that he could offer some comfort. He held her a little tighter, as she shook violently from her sharp breaths. Quickly he felt his shoulder become damp with tears, but he didn't care. He closed his eyes, continued to hold her, and let her take all the time she needed. 

Zelda later explained what happened, and Link sat beside her, thinking.   
"Perhaps it was a memory?" He suggested.   
"Probably, yeah. While I was praying with Impa, I had many similar visions. But it surprised me that I didn't have to be praying to have them."  
Her friend nodded. 

Still sitting near the same archway, the girl once again looked up at the structure, and noticed that there were some Hylian engravings on the building. She squinted as she tried to make out what some remains of the text said. 

"The l a - d - f H - - - le." 

"Link!" Zelda gasped. "This is interesting!"   
The two jumped up and brushed the dirt off of their clothes.   
"Look!" She rushed over and pointed to the engraving. "The land of something beginning with H." 

Link's eyes widened. "Really?!" He rubbed his chin. "H... Something beginning with H... I wonder what that could be..."

"Does this mean that this place has an actual name?!" The girl asked excitedly.   
"Well I mean, 'The Surface' is pretty lame. It'd be nice if the land already has a name, Groose won't be able to argue that it should be called 'Grooseland' any more."   
"Haha, yeah." 

The duo continued walking through the heart of the town. Coming off of the fountain were many paths and alleyways, as well as one large stone path that led to what looked like nowhere. Due to the vastness of this path, it looked enticing to walk down, so they did. They were chatting for some time, getting so caught up in talking to one another that they didn't see the sudden end of the path. 

"WOAH!" Link shouted as he slipped and fell over the edge of the path. He managed to dig his fingers into the tufts of grass on the edge.   
"Link! Are you alright?!" Zelda gasped.  
Quickly, he pulled himself back up.   
"Yeah I'm fine, but what was all that about?!" 

The two looked out onto an enormous crater of dirt that stretched all the way out to the horizon. In curiosity, the two followed the outline of this peculiar shaped hole. It was interesting; for such a large area, it was so barren and free of wildlife. Foliage was the only thing that inhabited it, as weeds and nettles festered in the muddy pit. Link gasped all of a sudden.   
"This is where Skyloft was."   
What girl turned to him, confused. "...What?"   
The boy pointed. "Look, where we're standing right now is where the Knight's Academy would be," the boy jogged forwards. "And then there's this long width of the crater that could definitely fit the Bazaar and the plaza. It took us the same amount of time to walk alongside this as it would to walk through it in Skyloft."   
Link looked up at his friend.   
"I mean, why else would there be such a random crater in the ground?"

"And if you think about it," Zelda added. "I had my memory here, where our people were nearly wiped out. I would assume that this is where Hylia- or I should say, I, would have lifted us into the sky." 

After sharing a moment's silence, the girl continued.   
"It seems that this mysterious place was once thriving with life, and, I truly believe now that it is our life purpose to restore it." She looked up at Link, who nodded in agreement. 

"The Goddess told me that she wanted me to reclaim her land. I would assume that restoring this place to its former glory is something that she would want me to do."   
The girl took one last look around, before facing her friend again. Her eyes lit up with excitement.   
"Let's be on our way back to the campsite. I'm sure that the others will be pleased to see this! This seems like the perfect place to start our new lives! With some work on it, I think this town could look so beautiful." 

After that, Zelda swiftly started to walk back, naturally causing Link to follow on behind. Perhaps they were unsuccessful in finding what they had originally ventured out for, but it seems that they found something even better.


	7. Planning and Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon returning to the campsite, Zelda tells her people about new plans moving forwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight I'm gonna come out and say it: I was struggling to vibe with this chapter. I had this fun little idea of the group discovering edible eggs for the first time (like non-fetilised loftwing eggs wouldn't exist) and so Groose discovered all these wack ass recipes because of the discovery of eggs but then I remembered that the boys yeet loftwing eggs at Link in the beginning of the game so I knew I couldn't do that idea 😩😂 
> 
> So, this was kinda changed up a bit, and was completely rewritten. To be honest, I've been way more excited to write the next chapter or two after this one because of it being more dramatic and dreaded having to write this one to just fill the gap 😂 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy and once again, to see the story, doodles related to the story, and other random Zelda artwork go to @new.horizons_ss on instagram !!

"So, did you guys find anything today?" 

Piper brought platters of rice cakes to the hungry teenagers. Like viscous remlits, the group dived at the savoury meal, grabbing as many they could get their hands on before they all disappeared. 

Groose smirked devilishly as he grabbed a huge pile at once.   
"Hey! That's not fair! You just scooped them up with your massive shovel hands!" Yelled Cawlin, who had the misfortune of picking them up individually, because of his much smaller hands.   
"Tough luck!" the larger boy snorted. "It's not my fault you're a man in the body of an 8 year old kid." 

Ignoring the boys, Karane answered the older woman's question. "Yes, me and Pipit did, actually!"

Everyone fell silent and turned to the red-haired girl. She continued. "We found a great fishing spot not too far from here. It's a giant pond with all kinds of mysterious fish species we haven't seen before. I'm sure that'd be a handy place to keep in mind." 

Pipit turned to Zelda. "As well as a place for food, you might be interested in creating a journal for the new fish species, too! I don't know, it seems like your kind of thing."   
The latter's eyes sparkled as she gave him a big smile. "You're right! I might do that one day!"

"What did you two find?" Scritch asked, looking at Link and Zelda. The pair gave each other wide eyed stares, as if to say "we're screwed", for they hadn't found anything they were meant to.  
Zelda looked down at the ground in guilt. "We... didn't find anything." 

Before anyone could question her, she piped up again. "But, we did find this place!"   
Everyone became intrigued, and leaned in towards her, waiting for her to continue.   
"We...found this strange place. Kind of like the remains of a town from the long, distant past." 

"A ghost town?!" Karane gasped. "That sounds so fun!"   
"We believe that it's a town from the era of the Goddess, and was once home to our ancestors." Zelda added.   
Everyone ooh-ed and ah-ed at the fascinating story. Link also had his input.   
"Also, it seems that this land has a name." 

Everyone gave him a curious look.   
"We found these ancient engravings." Zelda explained. "They were badly damaged, but we could figure out that it said 'The Land of H- - -le'. It's just we don't know what this name beginning with H could be." 

The group sat there silently wracking their brains, thinking about what the missing letters could possibly be.   
"Oh Hylia, this is difficult!" Cawlin sighed in frustration. Groose's eyes widened as the little lightbulb in his head suddenly lit up.  
"Hylia!" He shouted. Everyone suddenly turned to him, and the red-head explained.   
"This was Hylia's land once, which could explain the H."   
"Hylile. Hmm...Doesn't fit." Stritch muttered, rubbing his chin. Groose rolled his eyes.  
"Of course it don't, ya idiot!"   
"Yeah it definitely isn't that." Added Pipit. "However, Groose might be onto something!" 

The large boy proudly crossed his arms. "I think that was pretty smart of me...what would you do without me, eh?"   
"Well, Mr Know-It-All," Karane said mockingly. "What did you, Cawlin and Stritch find today?" 

Suddenly, Groose's confident expression vanished, and he stared at his friends, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. The other boys looked back at him, unsure of what to say. 

"Well uh... We didn't really find any food, either." Scritch mumbled, looking at his feet.  
"We did find these small birds though!" Groose defended them with.   
Karane narrowed her eyes at him. "There's small birds everywhere here, Groose." 

Cawlin explained. "No! These ones are different! They're quite...creepy actually. They're white, round, and make this weird kind of 'cuck-oo' sound." 

Everyone stared at the three, completely unimpressed.   
"Yeah, right." Pipit dismissed. "You three just messed around all day, didn't you? So you felt the need to make up some strange lie." 

"What?! No!" Groose yelled back. "We saw that these strange birds lay loads of eggs. Very tiny ones. If they're anythin' like loftwing eggs, perhaps we stand a chance of usin' them as ingredients!" 

Karane's judgmental expression faded. "Really? That might be handy to know. We know that Loftwings don't lay eggs all that often. Did you manage to get any?"   
Stritch continued to avoid her stare. "Well...no. Perhaps we… accidentally used them all up trying to scare away some bokoblins earlier?" 

The girl scoffed. "So we found a fishing pond, an ACTUAL place to find food, Link and Zelda found a bunch of old buildings, and you three had the perfect opportunity to bring back much needed supplies right there and then but instead you used them to cover a load of monsters in goo?!"   
"Hey! It's not like you brought back anything either!" Cawlin snapped back. 

Karane sent daggers his way with her eyes. "Oh yeah, like we can just bring back fish with our bare hands."  
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms angrily.  
"Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if you just made that whole story up! You guys don't ever do anything but mess around anyway!" 

The chubby boy retorted.  
"As if you two don't just go and find somewhere to smooch all the time!"

Link subtly leaned towards Zelda. "I'm guessing he's still jealous?"   
"Probably." She whispered back. 

Pipit and Karane's furious glares pierced right through the small boy. Their red cheeks burned like the rage in their wide eyes. The yellow-clad boy growled at the other, ready to fight back, before he was stopped. 

"Alright, alright, you guys! You really do make a mountain out of a mogma hill!" Piper shouted.  
The atmosphere fell silent.   
"Perhaps you all didn't have the best day looking around, but who's to say you won't find other things another time?"   
The woman smirked. "Besides, while you were out, we planted all of the seeds we brought with us from Skyloft. It seems like you guys didn't think of that idea!" 

After a moment, Zelda piped up. "If I may continue with Link and I's story, I wanted to say that I was thinking about visiting that place again. I think it would be perfect for us to rebuild and settle in down here." 

The blood vanished from Groose's face. "Uhh...are ya sure that's a good idea? Some creepy ghost town?! Wouldn't that mean there's like...spirits of the dead and stuff?!" 

Memories of earlier replayed in Zelda's mind. The monsters...the screams...that man in her vision. Her eyes drifted down to the palms of her hands. She started to wonder if it was actually a good idea after all, to try and build on top of, and try to forget such a tragic history. 

Link noticed his friend's sad eyes, and gave her arm a squeeze. She looked up to him, and he offered her a warm, comforting smile. Zelda appreciated the comfort, and it made her blush that he had noticed her expression fall so quickly. Was he looking at her?   
Her small pout curled into a grin. 

"'The Mighty Groose'?" Pipit chuckled. "Afraid of a few spooky ghosts?"   
The others burst into laughter.   
"H-hey! It's not like that! I'm just worryin' about everyone's safety, actually." Groose barked back. 

The hero added to the conversation, in hopes of making Zelda feel better. He turned to the red-head.   
"To be honest, Groose, I don't see why that'd be a problem at all. You already helped me fight off the incarnation of all evil, I'm pretty sure some abandoned buildings are nothing at this point."   
"Yeah! I think it'd be pretty cool to explore. It sounds inviting." Stritch spoke.   
"Well I think it sounds like a wonderful idea!" Piper added, picking up the empty platters. "Why start building from scratch if you've got nearly a whole town to begin with?" 

After the dishes had been washed up and put away, Zelda conversed with everyone about her newly proposed ideas. The group were overjoyed by the idea of getting out of their cold, damp tents and back to the cosy indoors, just like how they used to live. 

The group was eager to set up camp by the ruins as soon as possible, but Zelda had some other ideas. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

The girl sat by the campfire alongside Link, poking at the flames with any twigs she could find within her reach. She found it amusing to watch the bright orange glow ride up each stick, until the entire length of it had turned to crumbly grey ash. 

"I think it's time we started our adventure." Zelda broke the silence with.   
Link turned to face her.   
"'Seek out the dwellers of the sea, sand, and rock.'" 

She looked away from the flames and turned her attention to the other. "I think it's time we did just that, don't you?"   
"Don't put a lot of pressure on yourself to do things so quickly." Link replied. "You have plenty of time. I don't want you to get overwhelmed again." 

"Don't worry," she reassured. "It's just been on my mind for a while. If we're going to start building new lives for ourselves, it would probably be best to start trying to find them."   
She looked up at the sky, admiring the plethora of twinkling stars that shone down onto them. "They must be waiting for us."   
The hero gave her a smile. "I'm ready to go whenever you are." 

"I was thinking about leaving tomorrow."   
The boy stared at her, wide-eyed. "So soon?"   
"Yeah!" She giggled. "It'll be fun! I'm excited for it!" 

After a moment of silence, she continued. "You know, I was thinking."   
"About what?"  
"About how, if it's okay with you of course, I don't want to take our loftwings there, either. I had so much fun exploring on foot today, I'd love to do it more often, especially with you." 

Link couldn't help but bashfully smile at that. Shyly avoiding her bright eyes, he scratched the back of his head. "I really enjoyed it too. It sounds like a great idea!" 

"Great! We'll just have to carry blankets and sleeping bags on our travels as well. No doubt we'll be gone for a while." 

Suddenly, the hero tensed up. Sleeping bags?

Of course. Of course they would need that kind of equipment for travelling. It would take so much longer to travel on foot, so they obviously would be spending nights out in the wilderness. But that would mean...sleeping next to her. Them two were going to be ALONE, together! 

Link had obviously never done anything like that before, since the Knight's Academy always had a strict rule that forbid boys and girls from going in each other's rooms, especially at night. The idea of it felt wrong, and made him feel butterflies in his stomach. He felt a sweat break out on his forehead. 

To make things worse, his mind drifted to his current, more serious issue: the insomnia. 

Oh no. 

"She can't know about that!" He internally screamed at himself. The nightmares, his inability to sleep at night, everything. What if something happened while they were away? Of course she would ask questions, questions he would never want to answer. 

His palms were sweaty, and his heart pounded in his chest. He fidgeted with the cuffs of his sleeve and bit his lip a little too hard. He wished he could suggest that they did something else, but the last thing he wanted is to seem like he wasn't interested in spending all that time with her. 

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked, giggling. Her eyes were playful, but a hint of flirtatiousness resided in them too. She leaned in closer towards him, significantly shrinking the gap between them. "You seem to have gotten all embarrassed!" 

Link shifted away from her, his face burning up. He went to argue, but his words came out as an awkward, stuttering mess. "W-what?! No! I-I just zoned out for a m-moment!" 

Zelda poked his cheek playfully. "I'm going to go talk to the others. Go pack your things and get plenty of rest. We have a big day tomorrow!" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

It had been decided that the pair were going to set off early in the morning, and until they return, the others were going to start moving the campsite to the ruins. Karane and Pipit, being knights, were to be ensuring everyone stayed safe while the pair were gone. 

Many thoughts raced around in Link's mind that night. Spending so much time with Zelda might not be the best idea, despite how long he's wanted this moment to happen. Getting closer to her meant having the risk of accidentally telling her everything. 

On top of that, they would be gone for only the goddesses know how long, and he would have to protect her. He knew that at any opportunity he would risk everything to keep her safe, but what if something happened? 

What if he lost her again?


	8. Into the Wilderness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda are now venturing off to find the dwellers of the sea!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOO THE AMOUNT OF VIEWS!! Thank you so much to everyone who supports my work I love each and every one of y'all 💕💕
> 
> This chapter is heckin short (I think) but not to worry, because the next chapter is nearly finished already, and the chapter AFTER that has been in the works too!! 
> 
> I've started trying out digital art and ngl I created a Age of Calamity MASTERPIECE yesterday 🤡😩😂 so hopefully from now you'll see more of that from me too, as well as everything else I do so to check all that out go to @ new.horizons_ss on Instagram! 
> 
> Thank you for putting up with my annoying ass notes, I know you just wanna read by now so I'll let you go. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Luckily, Link did manage to get some shut-eye by the early hours of the morning, which was soon interrupted by his friend tapping on the tent's fabric.  
"Liiiink! Wakey wakey!" Zelda called out with a bubbly attitude. "It's going to be getting late soon!"

Half asleep, the disoriented boy propped himself up on his elbow for a moment, to see what was going on. After he comprehended who was making the high pitched noises from outside, he collapsed back down and closed his eyes, hoping he could just rest for a bit longer. 

Suddenly, Zelda ripped the tent door open, and let the sunshine beam down on the boy. He hissed at the bright light that was burning his retinas.  
"Come on, Link! We have a big day ahead!" 

In defiance, the hero rolled over away from her and mumbled.  
"Just... Give me... Five more minutes-" 

Feeling playful, Zelda hopped into the tent, pounced on to him, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him to death, trying to wake him up.  
"AH! ZELDA! WHAT ARE YOU-"  
The shock and embarrassment he felt was enough to wake him up properly, and he soon began trying to push her arms away. The girl giggled and continued to irritate him. She found him cute when he was angry. 

Walking past the tent, Groose, Cawlin and Stritch noticed it violently shaking.  
"ZELDA! G-GET OFF OF ME!"  
The three shared particular looks, before bursting into laughter. 

While still giggling, Zelda sat down opposite her friend. Link sat up and gave her an irritated look with his lidded eyes. The girl's expression quickly changed to one of concern.  
"Link... Did you not sleep well, again?"  
"Uhh.." The boy replied quietly. He avoided her stares, hoping she'd somehow drop the conversation and move onto something else. 

Zelda pouted at her friend, and asked him if everything was okay, again. And once again, the other forced a fake reassuring smile.  
"Don't worry Zelda, just like last time, there isn't any deep reason. I promise you, I'm fine." 

The girl gave him a doubtful look, but had given up on trying to argue at this point. She decided to change the subject.  
"Well, I can obviously see you still need to get ready, so I'll leave you to do that. Meet me by the fireplace in 5 minutes and I'll show you my notes." 

The boy nodded and his friend left. He quickly put on his knight's tunic and gear, combed his fingers through his hair in a poor attempt to tackle the severe bed-head he had, and stepped outside. 

Everyone was tucking into the steamed fish that Karane and Pipit went out to go and catch earlier that morning. They were all chatting in their social groups as per usual, while Zelda stood alone, concentrating on her notes. Link came over to the group. 

"Ruffled clothes, messy hair... Seems about right." Groose muttered to his two friends, who snickered in response. The hero overheard the three, and frowned at them in confusion. Shrugging it off, he went over to Zelda.

As he approached her, he noticed that her outfit was different to her usual long white dress with the black corset over the top. Instead, she wore a light pink off-shoulder top, decorated with a similar blue pin and golden embroidery to the Goddess costume she wore on the day of the Wing Ceremony. Over the top of that was a darker pink corset, which fell down over a pair of traditional beige trousers. The only familiar parts of her outfit were the green and pink ribbons in her hair, and her soft leather boots that the trousers were tucked into. Other than that, the entire outfit was fresh, and a complete surprise to the boy. 

Hearing footsteps heading towards her, Zelda spun around, and noticed her friend staring at her. Assuming it was because of the obvious change in her appearance, she spun around and gave him a big smile.  
"I thought that, since we'll be travelling through the wilderness, I don't need a big, puffy dress getting in the way all the time."  
She looked down at her new trousers. "It feels really odd for me to be wearing these tom-boyish clothes, but it feels so much more comfortable!" 

Link couldn't help but continue to gaze at her beauty. The baggy trousers made her look so much more fun and outdoorsy, while the soft pinks reflected her more cute, feminine, and innocent side.  
"Y-you look really nice." The hero complimented, feeling a faint pink glow growing across his cheeks. "The outfit suits you." 

Zelda blushed and giggled at his comment. "Thank you! I was hoping you liked it." 

The girl found herself gazing back at her friend. She loved the way being around him made her feel. He always knew how to say the right thing that made her feel special. 

After an incredibly prolonged moment of the two locking eyes, Zelda snapped out of it, and returned to her notes.  
"Okay so," she started. "I drew out a map of the land, to my understanding."

Link didn't want to be mean, but he couldn't help but laugh at the inaccuracy of the map.  
"What?" She questioned, offended.  
"On here, Lanayru is half the size of the Eldin region, even though Lanayru is probably the largest region we've discovered so far, and I'm pretty sure the layout of Faron Woods is upside down or something."  
Zelda rolled her eyes. "Fine, you draw something better!"  
"I have maps you could use?"  
The girl scoffed at her friend in disbelief. She crossed her arms.  
"What?! Why didn't you say earlier!"  
"You were avoiding me until recently! How would I have known you needed a map?!" The boy argued back.  
Zelda sighed, admitting defeat. "Okay, okay. Let's see the maps." 

Link rushed back to his tent, collected the scrolls, and laid them out in front of her. They had yellowed with age, and torn at the edges, so Zelda was extra careful as she traced her finger over them.  
"So the dwellers of the sand, sea and rock..."  
Zelda muttered, and made some notes on Link's map. She explained to him about possible locations to look, such as near Eldin Volcano, and Lanayru desert.  
"But I'm stuck for the last one. 'The Sea'?"  
Link thought for a moment. "The only thing that comes to mind is Lanayru Sea, but that was many years ago, the place is merely a desert now." 

Zelda rubbed her chin and hummed.  
"Well... If we look at it from a geographical perspective, there's no chance that there's a sea in the desert, and seas don't form in mountain ranges. The only place where there could possibly be a sea is...here."  
The girl pointed to the north-east of the map. Assuming that the land had an end somewhere, if they travelled beyond where the map finishes, perhaps they would reach a coastline.  
It was a risk to take, but after some more careful consideration, the pair decided to head in that direction. 

After breakfast and cleaning up, the two packed the last of their things into their bags. They were sure not to bring too much with them, for they had to carry it all. Some of the remaining people were heading out today, and were loading their gear onto their loftwings.

Once the pair were ready to go, Zelda made one last announcement.  
"Alright, everyone! Please do stay safe, if any of us are in trouble we should come back here. Oh, and, and Groose and Co. " the last part she said with an accusing tone.  
The mentioned boy and his friends looked up.  
"Don't do anything stupid!"  
"Whaddya, mean?! We're not stupid!" Groose shouted defensively. He threw his hands out aggressively, which resulted in him accidentally slapping his bird. The angered loftwing let out a loud squawk, before attacking him with it's large beak. "Hey, HEY! OW! STOP THAT!" 

Zelda shook her head, having low hopes that the boys will even be able to stay alive at this rate. Mallara gave the girl a reassuring smile.  
"Don't worry, Zelda. We'll make sure everyone's in one piece by the time you and Link come back home."  
The girl returned the smile. "Thank you." 

The pair bid farewell to everyone, and walked up to a path in their desired direction, which was concealed by a cluster of vines and branches. After a quick nod to each other, Link drew his sword, and sliced through the foliage. 

And with that, the pair started their long, mysterious journey, into the wilderness.


	9. A Rough Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Although the pair had both been secretly looking forward to spending so much time together, things still don't seem to be sailing as smoothly as they may have hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 270 VIEWS LETS FUCKIN GOOOOOOOO!!! 
> 
> Yes I'm back super speedy, I finished this chapter real quick as it was nearly already finished even back then! 
> 
> To read the story, see story-related doodles, and other Zelda-related artwork, go follow me at @new.horizons_ss on Instagram! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

For the first time ever, the pair made it out of the vast woods on foot. Ahead of them was an otherworldly sight: a landscape that younger Zelda could only have ever dreamed of. Like a perfect painting, in front of them laid miles of bright green, grassy hills, followed by layers of blue mountains, that faded into the clear sky. 

Zelda ran ahead, holding her arms out wide as she frolicked through the tall grass. She had never felt so free before. This world was huge, and there was something that she just loved so much about it's serene emptiness. The girl lost herself in the sea of yellow grass. She enjoyed the warm morning sun on her skin, and the wind that blew through her hair.   
"I've wanted this for so long." She sighed happily. 

The journey ahead of them was incredibly demanding physically. Despite the beauty of these lands, that didn't mean monsters hadn't taken up residence there. Every now and then, Link would run ahead and take them out immediately. Along the way, the pair crossed many rivers, climbed many rocks, and stumbled a few times while hiking up steep, rocky trails. 

As the day progressed, Link felt his strides turning into mere dragging of his feet. His leather satchel, that was filled to the brim with items, felt like it grew even heavier with time, which made each step more agonising than the last. He found it embarrassing that he had grown so weak, but functioning off of near to no sleep is nearly impossible. His eyelids were heavy; he yawned so often that he had to repeatedly wipe his watery eyes. On top of all that, the intense midday sun beamed down onto his back, sucking any remaining energy he had left. 

The boy's struggling didn't go unnoticed by Zelda, who gave him a pitiful look. She suddenly stopped walking, which prompted the other to as well.   
"Hey...are you feeling okay?" She asked him hesitantly. Her voice was soft.   
Link wiped his eyes again. "Yeah, I'm fine." 

Zelda stepped closer to him. A heavy feeling resided in her chest from seeing him look so rough. She felt so guilty for making him go through this. After so many times of him reassuring her that everything's fine, perhaps she became delusional, and actually started to believe him. Now, after spending several hours with him, she was starting to realise that maybe this was more severe than she ever thought. 

Maybe she should've been a better friend and noticed how severe this was sooner. Maybe she shouldn't have burdened him with her responsibilities after all. 

She tried to push those negative thoughts away before her feelings got the best of her, and tried to stay focused on the current situation. There was no turning back now, they were already hours into their trek. For now, all she could think of, which could help, was for them to rest. The heat was overwhelming the girl, too, especially in her new trousers. So, she was more than happy to stop and let the weather cool down before continuing their journey. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

The pair found a perfect spot beside a small river, shaded from the harsh sunlight. Upon reaching their destination, they threw down their belongings and headed for the river. Kneeling down beside it, the hero splashed water on his face, while the girl scooped some up with an empty glass bottle. Walking for so long in the sun was incredibly dehydrating, so it felt so relieving to sip on the cold, clear water. 

Link hoped the sudden sensation of ice cold water on his face would wake him up. He rubbed it into his red eyes, but even the tingling on his skin wasn't enough to make him feel any better.

Zelda sadly watched her friend. She tried to hide the concern she was feeling deep down, for she knew he would only lie to her again. She spoke up.   
"I think we should take a break." 

Link forced a grin.  
"Are you sure? I don't mind carrying on if you do." 

Zelda didn't really feel the need to rest. She felt pretty well rested from the night before, but she decided that Link was so stubborn that he would probably just let himself die from exhaustion if she didn't do something about the situation.   
"Yeah, we've been walking for hours now, my legs are starting to turn to jelly." The girl joked. 

They moved from the riverside to the base of a large tree, hidden in the cool shade. A small breeze blew through the trees, offering them relief from the burning sun. While sitting alongside her friend, Zelda decided to take out her journal, and ended up passionately rambling about silly little things to pass the time, like new plant species she had discovered recently. 

Link tried hard to pay attention to his friend, but he couldn't help but slip in and out of consciousness; he could barely keep his eyes open. He slouched further down the tree. 

Zelda pointed to a particular doodle of a flower. Despite it's awkward proportions and wobby outline, she captured its overall shape rather well. It stemmed from a bulb, with a large head that was surrounded by a multitude of thin, long petals.   
"You know, I haven't found this flower yet, but I can't help but feel like I've seen it bef-" 

Suddenly, she felt a weight slowly fall onto her shoulder. She froze in surprise for a moment, before feeling a pink glow form on her cheeks. "L-Link?" 

The boy's unconscious body leaned against her, with his head landing gently on her shoulder. Zelda was unsure what to do for a moment. Should she move? She didn't want to wake him. But, would things be awkward if she didn't? 

She realised she...liked him being there. She worried it was strange of her to, but there was something about him being so close to her that she just liked. 

Looking down at him, she felt relieved by how much more peaceful he looked while he was asleep. The girl couldn't help but admire his long eyelashes, and his slightly parted soft, pink lips. Gently, she brushed some stray hairs out of his face. His hair was very soft, to her surprise. She was always led to believe he was too lazy to ever actually take care of his hair, hence the very shaggy hairstyle. 

Zelda didn't know if it was a little invasive, but there was just something that felt so right about the moment. After a little bit of hesitation, she reached forwards, and slowly combed her fingers through his fluffy brown hair. 

Link suddenly shifted, scaring the other into thinking he was going to wake up. Instead, he buried his head into her more. The girl smiled, feeling like perhaps, even in his unconscious state, he liked the interaction too.   
She carefully continued to run her fingers through his hair, while admiring his handsome face. 

Zelda felt a wave of sadness wash over her. This was the first time, in a long time, that she had seen Link look so at ease, so free from the worries of life. For days, he had been looking so exhausted, so miserable, but also so on-edge all the time. 

The girl brought her hand down from his hair and to his cheek. She gently cupped his smooth, round face as she gazed down at him. She didn't exactly know why she suddenly had the confidence to be so forward. There was something about seeing him so small and vulnerable now, that made her want to do these things. She partly believed that it was okay, because the boy would never know anyway. 

"Link," she whispered, quiet enough not to wake him. She stroked his cheek with her thumb. "What's wrong?"   
She looked at the dark circles under his eyes.   
"I wish you would tell me." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

As the sleeping boy continued to rest on her shoulder, Zelda returned to her journal. Out of boredom, she sketched out the perfectly placed trees and in front of her, which rustled in the small breeze. The grass was powdered with a plethora of little colourful flowers. Although she loved small flowers, she found them a pain to draw. She narrowed her eyes and carefully tried to draw each one individually. 

All of a sudden, her concentration was interrupted by the sounds of something in the distance. Sounds of...whimpering? Cries? It sounded familiar, like a bird that had gotten stuck, or was frightened. Whatever it was, the girl grew worried about it, and the urge to go check it out got to her. 

Quickly, she pulled out the pillow from her bag, and put it behind Link's head. Zelda gave him one last look, and whispered to him again. She knew he couldn't hear him, but it felt rude to leave without saying anything anyway.   
"I'm sorry, Link. I'm just going to go and check out whatever this is. I promise I'll be back in a minute." 

After that, the girl headed off in the direction of the sound. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

The sound was leading the girl down into a ditch, surrounded by a thick wall of trees. The vast amount of foilage blocked out a lot of the sun's light, resulting in the mini forest being blanketed in eerie shadows. Without the sun's warmth, the breeze nipped at Zelda's skin as she walked deeper into the area. 

Soon, she found the source of the sound. It was a little brown bird that had got tangled in a bunch of thorns.   
"Oh, you silly thing." Zelda spoke softly. "Let me help you." 

The bird's squawking became louder as she approached, and it batted it's wings violently out of terror.   
"Shhhh," she cooed. "It's okay, I won't hurt you. You don't need to be afraid." 

The girl got close to the bird and began working on untangling the thorns from it's legs.  
"Ah!" She hissed, as the sharp points often dug into her fingers. Regardless, she continued to focus on the task of freeing the little feathered creature. 

With one last snap, the brown bird shot up into the sky in an instant. Zelda watched in fascination and relief as it faded into the blue sky above. 

"How strange." She thought. "I suppose the poor thing must've been terrified from being trapped like that." 

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound filled the air. Zelda froze, and snapped round to face the source of the sound. She hoped that if anything it would be a wild creature passing by, or perhaps even Link, but the moment she looked, it was neither of those things. 

A small bush in front of her sat suspiciously out in the open. Looking carefully, Zelda noticed the bush was trembling; she knew this was no ordinary plant. A horrible feeling resided in her gut. 

She looked to her left, and then to her right, and soon she realised that she was surrounded by a load of identical little shrubs. The overwhelming feeling of impending doom ate at her, as she knew what she was in store for.   
"Maybe this is why the bird was so afraid..." She muttered to herself. 

In unison, the plants shook the ground as they emerged above it, causing Zelda to yelp and stumble. Below them appeared the ugly, creepy octoroks. They all had their eyes locked on the girl, staring at her with their droopy, bright white eyes. Despite their relaxed appearance, the urge to kill rushed through their veins. 

Zelda felt her legs turn to jelly, and her heart thumping violently in her rib cage. She immediately regretted leaving Link, even if she thought nothing could possibly go wrong. Clearly, knowing her luck, that wasn't the case. The creatures stared at her from every angle; there was no way to get past them.

The octoroks began to inhale deeply. The girl braced herself as much as she could.   
Suddenly, a number of rocks came flying in her direction at great speeds, earning a scream in fear from the other.  
"AHH!" 

She jumped to the side, one of the rocks barely missing her by a mere few inches. They continued to hurl the giant balls at her, making her dodge as best as she could. Constantly jumping around quickly became tiresome, and Zelda felt like she couldn't keep it up for much longer. A burning stitch suddenly formed in her side, which slowed her enough to be targeted. 

Before she had time to react, a rock came flying at her. The sheer force of the solid mass slammed into the right side of her body, sending her to the floor instantly. The girl yelped in pain, holding her arm, which took most of the impact. 

The octoroks stared at her with their ominous pale eyes, ready to finish her off. The girl cowered away on her knees, but knew she had nowhere to go. Her breathing grew rapid, and her hands were shaky. She squeezed her eyes shut, and waited for the inevitable to happen. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"AHH!" 

Link's ears perked up as he stirred from his sleep. At first, his vision was a blur; he had to take a moment to rub his eyes and recognise where he was. 

He looked to the side of him, where his friend was sitting earlier. He blinked at Zelda's journal and piece of charcoal that had evidently been thrown down beside her bag, but where was their owner? 

As he grew more alert, the panic began to rise in his chest. He snapped his head around in every direction to find her. She wasn't even by the river they were at earlier. Even in the fairly open wilderness, she was nowhere to be seen.

Within an instant, he scrambled to his feet. His deepest fears began to jump to the front of his mind. He began to feel nauseous with anxiety, and an agonising pain formed in his chest. Sounds of movement could be heard in the distance, so he grabbed his sword and shield, and instinctively darted off in that direction, completely forgetting about their belongings. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

To her relief, Zelda heard footsteps racing towards her and the monsters. Link frantically emerged from the trees and bushes, and jumped down to where she was. Without sparing a single second, he readied his sword and shield. The octoroks' glares shifted to the boy, fixating on their new target. Link let out a battle cry as he shield bashed the flying rocks back where they came from. Zelda found the way he moved around with such perfect timing incredibly impressive. He spun on his heels in every direction, always being two steps ahead of the monsters. They didn't stand a chance against his skills, so it didn't take long for all of them to be wiped out. 

Once the coast was clear, Link put his sword back in it's sheath, turned around, and crouched down in front of the other. Zelda could see the panic in his wide eyes, and could hear his escalated, shaky breathing.   
"Are you okay?" He asked.   
The girl nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you so much, Link. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't-" 

"Why did you leave?" The boy interrupted. The words rolled off of his tongue quickly, like he was irritated, or anxious. Zelda stared at him, surprised by his new tone. Link continued.   
"It's not safe for you to be alone out here!" 

"I-I didn't think anything would happen!" She replied defensively.   
"Well it did!"  
Link looked at her with a serious stare that made the girl uncomfortable. His behaviour was really off. She was so used to her friend being so laid back and sweet, that seeing him so overly anxious and snappy made her shocked. 

The hero stood up and offered to help her up. "Come on, I left our bags behind because I had no time to get them."   
Zelda hesitantly accepted, and followed on behind him as they walked back. He remained silent, and cold. The atmosphere was crushing for her to experience. 

The girl looked at her friend, sad and confused. She spoke up.   
"Link, I'm sorry I upset you. I didn't mean to! I didn't know that something was going to happen! I heard a bird yell out in pain or fright, or something, and wanted to check it out." 

Link looked over his shoulder, his eyes sad too. "Why didn't you tell me? I would've gone with you. I would've made sure you were safe."   
Zelda's eyes lowered. "I-I didn't know, I'm sorry. You fell asleep, and I've been worried about you recently, so I thought you just needed to rest." 

The hero stopped walking. He looked down at the ground, clenching his jaw and digging his nails into his palms. She was right, he was asleep. He shouldn't have been so irresponsible and had been caught off guard like that. He was meant to protect her, and he couldn't even do that well.   
"I'm sorry." He muttered. His voice was weaker than before.  
Zelda stopped, and frowned at him. "Why?"   
"I should've been alert, and I wasn't. It's my fault, I'm sorry."   
"Link, it's okay to put yourself first. You're too hard on yourself." Spoke the other. Her voice was softer, and comforting. 

The hero ignored her comment, and continued to drown himself in his own thoughts. He had never overreacted like that to her before. He felt like a bit of a jerk, and it was embarrassing to look back at. It wasn't even a day into travelling and he was already starting to let his problems get in the way. If he wasn't careful, he could drive a wedge between them, and that was the last thing he ever wanted. He knew he needed to be better than that, for her. 

With all of his effort, he looked back and gave her a forced smile. "Everything's okay." 

Zelda decided not to argue, but instead she stared at him as he continued to walk again. She hated that he was clearly not okay. She hated that he refused to address his issues. She hated that she has to see the person she cares about the most, go through this pain, and she hated that until he started being more open with her, there was nothing she could do to help him. 

The two returned to their previous spot in silence, picked up their bags, and continued moving on.


	10. Disclosure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long day, the pair settle down for the night. Link's entire facade is challenged once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOOOO I'm sorry I haven't been as active for a while! I went back to college (UK college) last week and I started filming for DAYS (I study Film) and it was nearly driving me to an early grave BUT IM HERE NOW!!! 
> 
> Don't worry, I was still thinking about 💕✨them💖🥰 as always
> 
> Thank you so much for supporting my work, and I hope you enjoy! I took a lot of time to try and write this as best as I could. I don't feel too confident when it comes to writing angst 😂
> 
> To read the story, see story-related drawings, other Zelda art and other random bs, go follow my account on insta at @ new.horizons_ss !!! 💕💕

As their journey continued, the tense atmosphere lifted slightly. Zelda mustered up the courage to start a conversation with her friend, who engaged well. She hated how forced the boy's efforts to be polite and positive were, but she also appreciated that he too was trying to make things less awkward between them. 

After a long day of trekking through the mountainous woodlands, they decided to stop for the night under a large tree, just off of the dirt path they had been following. Despite Link looking like he just wanted to rest, he went off looking for firewood without wasting another moment. Zelda sat on a giant root stemming from the tree, and opened her mouth to suggest he just stayed and relaxed. However, she knew that would only bring back the tension of earlier, so she sighed and let him get on with it. 

Once the mini campfire was set up, they reheated the pumpkin soup Piper had made for them before they left. 

Getting ready for bed was an awkward experience. After a few embarrassed glances at each other, Link offered to go change away from the area, while the girl created a partition by draping their blankets from branches. 

Zelda took the ribbons out of her hair, and untied the corset around her waist. She changed into a soft, light blue nightgown, and neatly folded her travelling clothes into a pile. 

Link half froze to death as his skin was exposed to the chilly night air, but he didn't mind. He'd rather his friend be more comfortable, anyway. 

Zelda rolled out her sleeping bag, and watched in amusement at her friend who stood there silently, clutching his. She noticed his widened eyes and reddening face. 

"What are you waiting for?" She giggled. "Are you going to sleep standing up?" 

"Shoot!" He panicked mentally. "Where do I put this sleeping bag?! If I put it too close to her's, it would look weird, but if I put it too far from her's, could it look...like I'm trying to avoid her?" 

He swallowed and started unrolling it in the spot he randomly decided on, about five feet away from her's. He kept his head low in an attempt to hide the red that beamed on his cheeks. Zelda placed her hands on her hips with a smirk.   
"Cute." She thought to herself. 

After a few small conversations here and there, the girl felt herself slowly slipping into the world of slumber. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she kept zoning out of whatever her friend would say to her. The hero found her sleepy expression adorable, as well as her messy blonde hair, and the baggy gown that made her look so small. 

Zelda let out a yawn. Her voice was soft and quiet.  
"I think...I should sleep now. Goodnight, Link..."   
The latter smiled. "Sleep well, Zelda."   
The girl rolled over onto her side, away from her friend, and let herself drift into her dream land. 

Link rolled over onto his side, away from the other as well. Despite the peaceful atmosphere of the night, he felt the feelings of anxiety rise in his chest. He needed to control his emotions, and not cause any drama.

Every muscle in his body ached from the long journey, but mainly because of the lack of proper rest. He hoped that the exhaustion would make him pass out eventually anyway. He shut his eyes, and prayed that nothing would happen that night. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

The sounds of violent shuffling stirred Zelda from her sleep. She was only half awake, and she squinted with one eye open. Her sleepy face expressed irritation and confusion.   
"Link..." She mumbled groggily. 

Lazily, she rolled over to face the source of the sound.  
"What are you..." 

"Link?!" 

Her eyes widened as she found her friend twisting and turning in his sleep. Even in the poor lighting she could see the look of terror on his face. Each of his breaths were short and strained, like he couldn't breathe. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his panic grew more intense. He was having a nightmare.

Without another moment passing, the girl scrambled out of her sleeping bag and knelt beside her friend. She quickly grasped his shoulders and frantically shook them, desperately attempting to get him to snap out of it. She had never seen her friend in such a state, and seeing him so vulnerable made tears form in her eyes. 

"Link! Please wake up, Link!"   
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and laid there, trembling, gasping for air.   
"Link! Everything is okay! It's just a dream!" 

Once the boy's staggered breathing had calmed down, he glanced over to his friend.   
Zelda stared at the boy, her body jerking with each sob. Her hands trembled as she tightened her grip on his shirt. "Y-you scared me..." 

The hero blinked as he snapped back to reality, and sat up to face her. An overwhelming feeling of guilt and sadness cast over him. He spoke with worry in his voice.   
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that." 

Link rubbed his forearm, and shifted his gaze away from hers. He dreaded that this would happen, and it did. His issues had hurt her. 

There was a moment of silence, sparing the faint sounds of nocturnal creatures out on the prowl. Zelda frowned as she gathered her thoughts. The other avoided her intense stare, unsure of what to even say to her. 

"You've...been having nightmares all this time, haven't you?" The girl said in a sad voice.   
Link snapped up, his eyes widened.   
"N-no! This was just one time!" 

Zelda leaned forwards.   
"Oh come on, Link! Something's not righ-"   
Link plastered another one of his fake smiles, however, no matter how big his smile was, it couldn't hide the panic in his eyes. His words came out rushed.   
"Don't worry, I'm okay, everything's okay, I-" 

"Will you just STOP THAT ALREADY?!" His friend yelled out. The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Her yell was so loud that even the distant hooting of owls had ceased. 

Zelda placed her hands on her hips; her burning glare shot right through him. It was obvious that she had reached her limit, and had more to say. Link didn't dare to argue back.   
"Will you just stop it with that stupid smile! You're lying to me! You've always been lying to me!" 

The hero closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, the stress of her shrieking getting to him. He knew she wouldn't be done anytime soon. 

"The late nights...the early mornings...you constantly look exhausted, but anxious at the same time. You look horrendous, like you've hardly ever slept at all. It's heartbreaking for me to see you like this!" 

"I'm sorry." Link whispered, keeping his head down low. He mentally begged that she would bring this scowling to an end, but he couldn't find the energy within him to try and stop her. He bit his lip and let her continue. 

"You keep telling me you're fine when you're not! I'm sick of you lying to me! I want to know what's going on, and I want to know NOW!" 

A painful tightness formed in the boy's chest. He balled his shaky hands into fists. His eyes burned as he tried to hold back tears that threatened to fall.   
"I... can't tell you." He choked out. His voice was weak and shaky. 

Zelda's frustration immediately faded away. Her heart sank as she watched her friend sit on the verge of a breakdown. Had she pushed him too far?   
"Link, that was too harsh of me. I'm sorry."   
"It's okay." He mumbled. 

The girl moved so she was right in front of him, her face unusually closer to his. Link noticed her gesture, but instead of being bashful as usual, he appreciated the closeness. She rubbed his arm comfortingly.

"I just care about you a lot, and I hate seeing you like this. I don't want you to feel like this anymore. You know you can always tell me anything." 

Zelda let out a sigh. "I know I kept my problems away from you, but if it isn't too much to ask, I'd love for you to share yours with me too." 

Link stared back at the other. The fear in his eyes spoke volumes. His actual words came out as something barely louder than a whisper.   
"I don't want to hurt you, Zelda. You don't deserve to know." 

Zelda raised her eyebrows. A horrible feeling resided in her gut. His ominous tone made her feel uneasy, but made a million questions race around in her head. What was this thing that was bothering him so much? Was it really so bad that he felt the need to keep it away from her? For so long? 

The girl took his hands and squeezed them reassuringly. She continued to look into his large blue eyes.   
"Please, Link. I want you to be okay again." 

She was silent for a moment, taking the time to think carefully about her words.   
"As much as I used to complain about you sleeping in and missing the start of nearly every single lesson, or how you were late every time we hung out, or just how you were too carefree for your own good, you were much more laid back and happier, and I miss that side of you." 

The hero let out a sigh. He realised that there was no way out of this, and that there was no choice but to do something that he really didn't want to do. He tightened his grip on his friend's hand, hoping it would comfort him.   
"I...I've just had a lot on my mind recently." 

Zelda tilted her head, and stared at him with her large eyes. "Like what?" 

The boy looked down at their connected hands. His voice was barely audible.   
"I have a bad feeling about this place. I don't think we're free. I don't think that what's happened is truly over." 

Zelda frowned as she thought deeply.  
"...Maybe you're just still trying to heal from everything. But it's okay, it really is over now-" 

"No!" Link interrupted harshly. "This isn't just some trauma of what happened."   
He paused to take in a deep breath.   
"He...said something to me." 

His friend had to think for a moment to understand who he might've been talking about, but then it clicked.   
"W-what...did he say?" 

"He said...He said that his hatred never dies, that it is reborn in a cycle with no end." 

A dreadful silence filled the air. Zelda felt a tightness in her chest; her throat was dry. She didn't even breathe. Link could feel the way the atmosphere went down like a lead balloon. After a moment, the girl's lips parted as she attempted to speak.  
"Wha- what does that even mean?!"   
The growing feeling of panic could be heard in her shaky voice. 

Link's hand trembled as it continued to hold her's. He inhaled and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping he would somehow wake up from this nightmare that was unfolding before him. 

"Those like you... those who share the blood of the Goddess and the spirit of the hero...they are eternally bound to this curse." 

"An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time." 

The boy mustered up the courage to look at his friend in the eyes. She knelt there quietly, staring at him, frozen. Her eyes were glassy. The sight of her slowly falling apart broke him, and he too felt his eyes sting.   
"I'm sorry, Zelda. I'm so sorry." 

The girl remained silent. She looked as if she was still trying to comprehend what he had just told her.  
"Tell me you're lying." She spoke. Her voice was weak.   
Link continued to stare at her, using his sleeve to rub his eyes. 

"Link," she said, louder this time. As she progressed, her speech became strained from the sobs she choked on. She shook her head, all the while a desperate look resided in her wide eyes.   
"Tell me this is some sick joke- that you made that all up! There's no way that can be true! Tell me! Please!" 

Link's eyes trailed to the floor. Zelda stared at him, mouth agape. The girl relayed the message over and over in her mind. Maybe, just maybe, it was nothing more than a vengeful dying speech.

...Right? 

"B-but it can't be! We- We went through everything to seal him away! It was our destiny! We accomplished every task and trial the Goddess set before us!" 

Her body trembled as tears came streaming down the girl's cheeks.  
"Did we...fail her?" 

"Everything we went through...The tornado...the Gate of Time...Impa..."   
Zelda clenched her fists.   
"Was it all for nothing?" 

Link's weakened voice spoke up, as he looked up at the night sky.   
"I think we fulfilled our duties. I just feel like he's still out there...somewhere."

His friend hesitated for a minute, before asking him a question.  
"...Why didn't you tell me this earlier, Link?" 

She held his hands a little tighter, finding that his warm palms on hers was oddly soothing for both of them. Her sad, glazed eyes continued to glisten in the moonlight.   
"Why did you hide this for so long?" 

A tear spilled down the hero's cheek.   
"Because I didn't want to hurt you. You carry the burden of starting a new life down here, and you didn't deserve to have that on your shoulders as well. Nobody deserves to know."  
The boy appeared to be irritated with himself.   
"But I can't seem to hide it any more. If I could, I wouldn't want anyone to ever know about it. But I can't do it anymore! I often can't eat, I can't sleep- everyone's been saying things about me: pointing out that I look tired, or making comments about me as I pass them." 

Zelda remained silent as she allowed her friend to talk. She always knew that he wasn't the kind to talk much, especially about his feelings, so she made sure to make the most of this moment. Link nervously continued. 

"I'm just afraid. I'm afraid because we're about to start our new lives down here, and right from the moment you asked me, I knew I wanted to be here with you." 

The hero remembered that perfect day atop the Goddess statue with his friend. He remembered how her beautiful blue eyes lit up with enthusiasm, and how cute she looked when her smile stretched from ear to ear. 

"But our friends- our families! They're all here with us. They don't even know about this curse. I mean, even you didn't know about it. Maybe it won't affect them personally, but what about their children, their grandchildren?!"

Link chewed his lip.  
"I just worry... What if they suffer the same fate as Hylia's people did, all those years ago?"

Memories of the vision Zelda had at the ruins replayed in her mind. She thought of all of her friends: Karane, Pipit, Groose, Cawlin, Stritch, Mallara, Piper, Peatrice... and so on. Horrifying, disgusting images flashed before her eyes. The details she saw were unspeakable, and brought on an episode of uncontrollable sobbing. She buried her head in her hands, muffling her loud cries. 

"What have I done?!" She screamed, throwing her hands down. Link winced at her high-pitched cries.   
"What if I killed them all!" 

"Zelda..." The hero trailed off. He reached forwards and placed his hand on her shoulder.   
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blurted that all out like that-" 

"No, it's okay." Zelda sniffed. "I'm even more sorry."   
Link frowned slightly. "Why?" 

"You've been suffering with this for so long...and I almost let myself believe you were okay, because that's all you ever told me! I was so stupid!"   
She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her gown.   
"I'm so sorry, I'm a terrible friend." 

To her surprise, Link suddenly pulled her into a hug, and held her tightly.   
"Stop that. You're an amazing friend." 

Zelda quickly accepted the hug, knowing that she really needed it. She didn't hesitate to tightly wrap her arms around his waist, which made her feel oddly safe and at ease. Burying her face into his shoulder, she closed her eyes, and enjoyed the silence between them. 

After several moments, the boy spoke up, while still holding her. He was thinking about his overreaction from a while back.   
"I'm sorry for earlier."   
"It's okay." Replied the girl.   
"It's just... I worry."   
Zelda pulled away to look at him.   
"What do you mean?"   
Link scratched the back of his head awkwardly.  
"Ever since what happened...I just worry about the possibility of anything ever happening to you. I always think about our adventure. I remember worrying that each time I saw you, it would be the last."   
He paused momentarily.

"That day you sealed yourself away...I'll never forget how I felt. I never want to feel that way ever again."

"Ever since what happened, I've always been worried that you might get into harm's way. I only ever got to see you for a few short moments each time, and just after I started to feel relieved, like everything was going to be okay, you were gone again. Now I'm just scared that, if I look away, I'll lose you again." 

Zelda sadly watched her friend. She shuffled closer to him, sealing the space between them, before hugging him tightly once again. Her words were muffled through his shirt, but they were clear enough to understand.   
"Don't worry, Link. I'm here with you now, and I always will be. Everything will be okay, as long as we have each other, right?" 

Link pulled her close and held her in his arms, resting his head on her shoulder. His lips curled into a soft smile.   
"Yeah."


	11. The Following Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes just confiding in someone makes a whole world of difference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright I hate the chapter title sm but I literally can't think of anything 😩😂 
> 
> If you're a returning reader and you don't follow me on Instagram, thank you for being patient! I had massive writer's block for a while, as well as being busy from going back to college! 
> 
> The second half of this chapter is more of a one shot that I wrote like 6 months ago, but I felt that now was the best time to slot it in! So yeah if it seems a bit random, that's why. 
> 
> I'm worried I'm really dragging out this whole thing now, but I can assure you that the next chapter is gonna be i n t e r e s t i n g 😳😳😳  
> (Which also is basically entirely written so you should be seeing it real soon WOOOO!!) 
> 
> ALSO this story is gonna be LONGGG, so even though this has a pretty slow start, all of it is really detailed 😂😂
> 
> Be sure to follow me on Instagram at @new.horizons_ss , I'm also participating in Linktober this year so you'll be seeing very frequent posting from me!! 
> 
> Thank you for always supporting my work, Ilysm, and I hope you enjoy!! 💚💚💚

Zelda found herself alone, isolated in the void of black nothingness once again. She looked around, as she slowly came to her senses. 

All of a sudden, a golden light pierced through the darkness, forcing the girl to shield her eyes. She peeked through the gaps between her fingers, hoping she would witness something, or more, someone. Her dream was oddly similar to the one she had a while back. 

She waited patiently for the deep, yet gentle feminine voice to echo throughout the empty space.   
"O youth, spirit maiden, who is regaining possession of this land." 

Zelda removed her hand, and stared up at the bright light, lips parted slightly.   
"Goddess? Is that you?" She whispered.   
A moment passed before the heavenly being spoke once again.   
"The task set before you is your destiny. Fearing for the future will make you grow weak." 

The girl began to remember what happened the night before.  
The curse. 

The temporary silence was broken by the echoing voice once again.   
"My people belong here now. Continue to proceed without hesitation. You have come a long way already. Do not falter." 

And with that, the golden light diminished into nothingness, and Zelda woke up. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

It was the melodies of little birds chirping their hearts out that slowly drew Link out of his slumber. After rubbing his eyes and getting his bearings, he noticed the sound of scribbling charcoal coming from behind him. 

As expected, he found Zelda kneeling there with her journal. However, she didn't seem to be peacefully making notes, or doodling as per usual, but rather pressing down harshly on the charcoal to leave thick black scribbles all over the page. 

Hearing the sudden shuffling, she turned to greet him. "Oh, good morning."   
She spoke with a polite smile, but Link could tell it was forced. Her eyes were puffy from crying the night before, and a sad look resided in her dull eyes.   
"Hey." Responded the boy, his voice groggy from only just waking up.

He glanced down at harsh black lines in her notebook, as well as her hand that trembled as she tightly gripped the charcoal.   
"Uhh...what are you up to?"   
The girl turned away from him and stared down at her defaced page.   
"I think you can tell. I've just... I've been thinking about- you know, last night." 

Link frowned in confusion. "Last night?"

It then hit him. 

"Oh no." 

Suddenly, a wave of memories of last night crashed into his mind. He stopped breathing. His chest grew tight as his throat became dry. He had told her. He had told her everything. No wonder she was in such a state.

He scrambled to his knees. His words were a panicky, stuttered mess. "Z-Zelda, I'm so sorry I-"   
"No, it's okay." His friend quietly spoke, a small, sad smile sat upon her lips. "As someone who owns, or more, at the moment, owned this land, I really should know these things. So, I'm really thankful for you telling me, Link." 

The boy remained silent and blinked at her, letting himself drown in his own feelings of guilt and pity. He clenched his jaw and dug his nails into his palms. 

Zelda slowly turned back to the ruined page in her journal. The page had dented from how hard she pressed into the paper, and was creased from how frantically she moved her hand.  
"Please don't feel guilty. You did what you could to try and not hurt me. But really, I need to know. The truth just hurts sometimes, you know?"  
The girl deeply inhaled.  
"I really appreciate you being so caring. It's one of the things I love about you." 

Link's eyes suddenly widened. He froze like a statue, and felt his face burning up furiously. 

Zelda shook her hands defensively. She too went as red as a tomato. Her voice was high-pitched and stuttery.   
"I-I MEAN, one of the things I LIKE about you."   
She chuckled awkwardly, and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Her wide eyes shifted away from his, feeling too embarrassed to even look at him right now. She could feel his shocked stare landing on her. At that moment, she just wanted to curl up into a ball and die. 

A warm feeling began to grow inside of the hero's chest. He could feel his heart racing. There was something about what she said that just got to him. It made his palms sweaty and cheeks blushy.   
"Things she... 'loves' about me?" He thought. 

A painful silence filled the air, as both of them were lost for words. Zelda hid her face in embarrassment; Link stared at the soft grass, replaying what she said in his mind, a million times over. He hoped she didn't see him accidentally crack that stupid smile he wore on his face. 

After taking a moment to reconstruct herself, Zelda quickly thought of something to change the subject with.   
"She...came to me last night." 

Her friend brought his eyes up to her again, and tilted his head. He knew straight away who she was talking about.   
"What did she say?"

His friend looked off into the distance. She admired how the early morning sun illuminated the plethora of tall trees with a golden glow.   
"I suppose… it was just some words of reassurance. She reminded me that we are doing the right thing, that this is our destiny."

Link also stared at the scenery in front of them.   
"That's reassuring." 

"I'm still scared, of course. But if anyone can give me more confidence in this entire plan, it would be her."   
For a minute, the girl stopped talking, and enjoyed the gentle melody of nature that filled her ears. The leaves on the trees rattled in the wind like maracas, and birds chirped like little chimes of a triangle.   
"Well, I suppose we better get ready for the day! These 'sea dwellers' are still waiting for us!" Zelda eventually spoke in a more bubbly tone. 

Link glanced down at his friend's journal and picked it up. His friend stared at him in surprise, before hearing the sounds of ripping paper.   
"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" She shrieked in horror. She was incredibly protective over her journal. 

She let out a sigh of relief once she realised he had only ripped out the page with scribbles on them. Quickly, he scrunched it into a ball, before putting it in his bag.   
"You don't need that as a reminder of all this. Besides, you put in a lot of effort for your notes to look nice, you don't want to get them ruined with that ugly page smudging it all, do you?" 

Zelda smiled warmly at her friend. He always knew how to make her feel weirdly happy. She loved that about him too.   
The boy's eyes sparkled as he gazed at her blushy grin. He was relieved that she was a little happier now. She looks so beautiful when she smiles. 

He went to say something along those lines to her, but then remembered his severe lack of confidence when it comes to talking to girls in that way.   
"I-I'm glad you're feeling better now, because uh, y-you look nice- when you smile." He stuttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He cringed and mentally slapped himself for messing up so badly. His cheeks beamed red from embarrassment. 

The girl giggled flirtatiously. She too could feel that warm feeling in her chest, and also admired how cute he was when he got shy. 

After that, the two ate, got dressed, and packed, ready for another day of adventuring. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

In contrast to the day before, the atmosphere felt so much more comfortable. The pair hiked their way through the mountainous forest, talking about silly little things like they always do. Zelda noticed how much brighter her friend's eyes were today, and how he smiled more. It reminded her of the times her and him were more carefree, and would hang out back at home. Especially after everything they had been though, she kept those memories very close to her heart, so the nostalgia made her feel warm inside. 

"You know, Link. You've been...different today."   
The hero raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"   
"Well… you're more yourself." She said with a smile. Her eyes were round and sparkly as they looked at him. "You seem more relaxed, and casual than before."   
"Oh?"   
Zelda smiled brightly.   
"You look a lot happier. It's nice to see."   
Not really knowing how to respond, the other just gave her a smile. With the way his large, gentle eyes twinkled at her, and the way his soft lips curled upwards, he looked really handsome. 

She didn't know why, but she felt comfortable enough to link arms with her friend. She stepped closer, and looped her arm around his. He was taken by surprise, but obviously didn't reject the gesture. 

By the afternoon, the scenery around then had changed from the forest to valleys and hills of nothing but green grass for miles. The empty land made it easy to spot a strange looking shape that sat in the distance. Zelda suddenly stopped walking, causing the other to as well. 

"Hey, what is THAT?!"  
"What's what?"   
The girl pointed in front of her. Far ahead of them, an unfamiliar looking creature that appeared to be black and white in colour, stood among the overgrown grass.  
Link tilted his head, very confused. He hadn't seen anything like this on his travels before.   
"Let's check it out!" She announced excitedly.  
Link had to hold her back from darting off.   
"Let's be cautious, this could be a new kind of enemy for all we know." 

As they came closer to the unknown thing, they were able to see the creature in more detail. The bulky, four-legged creature had patches of black all over it's otherwise-white body. It had two shining black eyes, a snout, horns, and a tail that swayed side to side. Until the pair got close enough, the beast happily grazed on the grass. It lifted it's head, to face the pair, to which they felt relieved once they saw it's big round eyes showed no signs of malicious intent.   
"Awww! He's adorable!" Squealed Zelda. She then looked down to the creature's belly, and noticed it's udders. Her smile faded.   
"It's... Not a boy, is it."   
Link shook his head. "I don't think so."   
"She's so cute!"   
Zelda went to step forwards, but Link extended his arm, acting as a barrier to stop her from going any further.   
"I'll go first."   
The girl pouted, but understood that that was a sensible idea. At least he could take down the creature should it turn hostile. She watched eagerly as Link slowly stepped towards the animal. 

The creature had a catious look in her eyes, and was frozen in fear.   
"It's okay, I won't hurt you." Link spoke softly.   
Once he was close enough, he cautiously began to brush the top of her head with his fingers. To his surprise, the creature stayed put, and didn't reject the gesture. He began to stroke her snout, which she seemed to enjoy him doing. Soon, she nuzzled against his side, which tickled him.  
"Hey! What are you doing?!" He hissed in between laughs.   
"It seems like there's something in your bag she wants!" Zelda observed.   
Link undone his satchel, and found a small bag of oats in the bottom of it. He pulled it out, which grabbed her attention. Her snout eagerly followed the boy's hand that held the bag. Zelda gasped.   
"She must want some oats! Can we give some to her?"   
Link had an unsure expression. "Uhh... I don't think that's a good idea, these are meant to be used for us to cook-"   
Zelda skipped forwards and looked up to him with her famous pout and big sparkly eyes. She held her hands together eagerly.   
"Please?"   
Link hated how she was so good at charming her way through things like this. Her expression was just too adorable to say no to.   
He let out an irritated sigh, defeated.   
"Fine! But only because I can't say no to that face."   
Zelda giggled. "I know you can't. It always works." 

"Helloooo!" She cooed at the animal. She gently rubbed her head, and scratched around her floppy ears. The creature didn't really make any noises, other than her heavy breathing. However, the sparkles in her eyes and nuzzling into Zelda's hands showed that she was clearly enjoying the affection. Link hesitantly handed his friend the bag of oats.   
"If we get lost, run out of all of our other food, and can't find any more, don't blame me."   
"Oh, you worry too much." Zelda dismissed. "We've already narrowly escaped death many times, I'm sure we can part with some gross, plain oats."

The girl struggled to get the grains out of the bag and onto her hands without the creature snatching them from her.   
"Hey! Be patient!" She scowled.   
Zelda held a pile in her palms, to which the animal didn't even hesitate to start munching at.   
"Ah! That tickles!" The girl giggled.   
Within a couple moments, the first pile of oats were gone, and the creature was nudging Zelda, asking for more.   
"You should feed her too!"   
Link came closer to the girl, and cupped his palms together. Before Zelda could even finish pouring the oats into his hands, Link was attacked by the animal.  
"Woah! You really can't wait a minute!" He exclaimed, as she was hoovering up the dry food. 

For a while, each of them took turns to use up the oats, feeding the creature. Once all of the oats were gone, they brushed their hands on their clothes and straightened up. All of a sudden, they heard a deep, low "moo" sound, coming from behind them. Intrigued, they turned around, to find multiple of the same type of creature standing there, watching them.   
"Oh my!" Zelda squealed. "They're all so adorable! Aw, I just wish we could take them all ho-"   
"Don't get any ideas." Link cut her off with.   
Zelda jokingly turned to the other with her pouting expression again.   
"It's DEFINITELY not going to work this time." He laughed. 

As if to bid farewell, the animal they had been feeding gave them a "moo", before wandering over to the rest of the herd. The two watched as they all roamed out of sight. 

Zelda sighed. "You know, speaking of pets, I do miss Mia. I wanted to bring her to the surface with me, but obviously my father would never be able to part with her! Besides, that girl disappears all the time! She'd get lost and be gone forever if she was to live down here."   
Link chuckled. "I'm still traumatised by her, to be honest. She used to be such a demon at night."   
"Maybe one day, when we have our homes built and everything, we'll have our own animals down here to look after." The girl said happily.


	12. I Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two settle down for the second night of their journey. After dinner, the two happen to get into a deep conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR ITS HAPPENING 
> 
> I really hope this is okay, I've been so EXCITED to upload this chapter for so damn long, and now it's here! I hope that my writing conveys the emotions and atmosphere I envision in this scene, because when I think about it it makes me 🥰🥰🥰 
> 
> Thank you for supporting my work, it means so much!!!! 💕💕💕
> 
> I'm still working on Linktober so once again, if you'd like to see the story, story art, and other Zelda related things (including Linktober entries) feel free to go follow me on Instagram at @ new.horizons_ss !!!! 
> 
> See you around! :-)))

Determined to cover as much ground as possible, and both of them feeling much more motivated, the two continued trekking late into the night. 

The cold air nipped at their skin as they trudged through a small woodland. The glowing moon rested high above them, and a gentle wind whistled as it blew through the trees.

There was something in the distance that caught Link's eye, to which he stopped walking, and squinted to try and make out that it was. Through the tiny gaps between the trees, he could see what appeared to be a soft pink glow ahead of them, to the left a little bit. 

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked. 

"Nothing, I just happened to notice..."   
He pointed to the mysterious light.   
"that, over there." 

His friend shuffled in order to see what he was seeing. She smiled eagerly. "Let's go check it out!" 

As the pair got closer, they realised that they were looking at a beautiful clearing, somewhere so otherworldly, somewhere like they've never seen before.   
A rosy glow illuminated the area, sourced by the bundles of fairies that danced around in the air. Their delicate wings created a twinkling sound every time they moved.   
Curtains of vines hung from tree to tree, and an array of flowers sprinkled colour onto the soft green grass. 

Zelda became speechless at the sight in front of her, her mouth agape. She slowly and quietly paced over to one of the fairies, making sure not to frighten them, and gently cupped one in her hands. The little ball of light was warm on her skin, and it's soft wings tickled. She opened her hands up, and watched with content as the little creature floated away again. 

Link loved watching Zelda's eyes light up with childlike fascination. He loved how sweet and caring she was to everything and everyone. The girl caught her friend in the act of gazing at her, to which he grew flustered and looked away.   
"Cute." She thought, cracking a smile. 

The pair looked around at the clearing once again.   
"Do I even need to say that we should stay here tonight?" The girl joked.

Now oat-less, the pair had to make dinner using the other remaining supplies they had. Neither of them were cooking geniuses, but both were creative enough to make something that somewhat resembled of rice and sautéed vegetables, with bread. 

"I wonder if the others have found anything else to eat along the way." Zelda said, in the middle of munching on a piece of the fluffy bread.   
"We'll have to start doing the same ourselves, soon."   
Link stared at her with an accusing look.   
"It was your idea to give some of it away."  
The other rolled her eyes. "Ugh, give it a rest! We'll be fine! Besides, that animal was too cute!"   
The girl smiled happily at the last part.   
She continued after a short pause.   
"The trouble is, we just don't know what's edible and what's not. I research into plants a lot, but it's not easy to determine things like that, really."

Her friend shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "Maybe we can just sacrifice Groose and get him to try it first."   
"Don't be mean!" Zelda hissed as she playfully slapped his arm, trying not to laugh herself. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda was the first to finish getting ready for bed. She perched herself on top of a fallen log that sat within the small clearing, and combed her hair. Lost in thought as she ran the comb through her long, blonde hair, she found herself humming The Ballad of the Goddess. 

The sweet tune reached Link's ears as he returned from getting changed. It was always mesmerising to listen to. The girl finished the song as he put away his pile of folded clothes. 

"You haven't sang or played that song in quite a while. I'm surprised you didn't even bring your harp with you." 

Zelda had a bit of a glum look on her face. "Yeah, I know. I used to always practice it, especially for the Wing Ceremony. But now...it just reminds me of everything that's happened." 

The girl continued as Link sat down beside her.   
"It's just so strange to think- to think that what was once just a sweet little song to sing, often for fun, turned out to be a prophecy- our destiny!" 

Her friend focused on her as she spoke, his eyes full of interest for what she had to say. Zelda sighed.   
"I try to associate the song with happier times, such as the morning of the Wing Ceremony, and after you won the race."   
Glancing at her friend to see his expression, she dared to say the last part that was on her mind. She gave him a small smile.   
"Although what happened was tragic, at least I got to spend those last few happy moments with you, Link." 

The hero smiled back at her, unsure of what to really say. He felt the same way. He always thought about how breathtaking she was in her Goddess costume, and how the warm breeze that day carried her beautiful singing voice. 

He briefly looked down at his palms, and reminisced about that day: her helping him find his loftwing, receiving the sailcloth, the flight together afterwards. 

He blinked for a moment. 

"She...wanted to tell me something." He remembered.   
While they were flying, she flew closer to him, and had a nervous look on her face. She was just about to speak up before the unexpected happened.

There was a moment of silence.   
"...Can I ask you something?" Link asked quietly, his voice displaying the hesitation he felt.   
Zelda turned to face the him; he continued. "Remember when we were flying together, after the Wing Ceremony? Before...you know."   
"Yeah."   
Link scratched the back of his head, and shifted his eyes away from hers.   
"Well...you said that you had something you've been meaning to talk to me about." 

The goddess' eyes widened as she stared, feeling her cheeks suddenly burn from the memory. She looked down at her hands, not knowing how to respond, and not having the courage to maintain eye contact with him. 

"If you don't mind me asking," Link said politely. "What was it that you were going to say?" 

Zelda bit her lip, and shifted as if to turn away from him a little bit. Even in the faint pink lighting, he could see her rosy cheeks that were slightly hidden by her hair. She forced a laugh, but there was panic in the tones of her voice.   
"Oh, that, haha! That was nothing!" 

Link noticed her strange action, and tilted his head, suddenly more intrigued.   
"What was it?" 

"It wasn't anything major, I promise!" 

The hero spoke gently. "But I want to know." 

The atmosphere fell silent once again, this time, much more tense than the last. Neither of them said anything, or rather what to say. Link took her lack of a response as a cue to stop talking.  
Zelda took some time to gather her thoughts. She played with her thumbs nervously, still looking away from her friend.   
When she finally spoke up, her voice was low, and sad.

"... Haven't you figured it out?" 

The boy's eyes shot back up to her. He felt his heart stop, as he clung onto that little shred of hope inside him. He hoped that, what she was talking about, may have been what he had hoped for for a long time. 

Zelda bit her lip. "I... Was going to tell you about my feelings." 

At that moment, Link felt the blood rush from his face in shock. His chest tightened, and palms grew sweaty. The anxiety of waiting for what she was going to say next made his limbs turn to jelly. He tried his absolute hardest to act calm, and casual.   
"Oh?" 

His friend mustered up the courage to look at him in the eyes, her expression was full of worry. Her stare locked onto his as she forced herself to continue.   
"It's just- it's just that I feel this certain way about you. A way that I've never felt for anyone else, ever."   
Her eyes became red and glassy; her voice began to strain.  
"Of course, my other friends make me happy. But I just feel different when it comes to...you. When I'm around you, I feel like the happiest person in the world, I feel more confident in myself, and you- you're just too kind, and sweet and funny and caring and I-" 

A tear escaped and ran down her reddened cheek. She wiped it with the sleeve of her nightgown. 

"I wanted to tell you that I was scared, because I don't ever want to ruin what we've had all these years. You're my best friend, and I don't ever want to lose you."   
Her shoulders shook as she sobbed quietly.   
"But I can't help the way I feel about you. I like you, Link. I really do." 

Link blinked at his friend, unable to speak. He finally exhaled after accidentally holding his breath for what must've been an eternity. At that moment, the world didn't even feel real, it felt like everything was a dream. 

And if it was a dream, he hoped that he would never wake up from it. 

"Please don't cry." He said softly, quickly shuffling closer to her. The boy placed his hand on top of hers. Zelda glanced down at the sudden gesture, before looking back into his eyes. She could see how he trembled as he looked at her. She had never seen him so nervous. 

"I-I've...felt the same way about you for as long as I could remember. I've been scared too. To be honest, I never thought that you would give me a chance." 

He allowed time for a brief pause, before starting again. He gazed at her with the sweetest smile.   
"You don't need to worry about us, because I'll never leave your side, no matter what, best friends, or otherwise." 

The boy's eyes looked down at their connected hands. The latter did the same. He gently squeezed her hand and looked up at her.   
"I really like you too, Zelda." 

Link gazed into her beautiful sky-blue eyes; Zelda could also feel herself getting lost in his. They could feel themselves slowly moving closer, but they chose not to fight it, for it just felt so...right. Their hearts raced in their chest, and the feeling of butterflies in their stomachs grew even more intense. Zelda was trembling with nervousness, but she couldn't resist any more. When their faces were inches apart, their eyes fluttered shut. The girl could feel the other's warm breath. It felt invasive, for she had never experienced anything like this before, but the sensation of him being so close made her want it even more. They both pulled in even closer, until their lips gently brushed. The feeling of his friend's soft lips against his sent tingles down Link's spine. Her lips tasted sweet, presumably from her honey lip balm. 

After, they slowly pulled away, but kept their faces close together. The pair's eyes opened again, and they stared at each other's bashful looks. Zelda admired the pink glow that had formed on her hero's cheeks, which had even crept up to his ears.   
Link was the first to speak.   
"C-can I kiss you again?"   
Zelda smiled at him.   
"You don't have to ask." 

Link felt himself pull in again, this time he slowly ran his fingers through her soft, golden hair. The kiss was much more passionate than the last one, and the boy could feel himself falling deeper, and deeper into it. When their lips parted, he kissed her again. And again. And again. He never planned on being so foreward with Zelda, but he just didn't care any more. He had waited his entire life for this moment. 

Zelda's heart soared in response. She felt herself getting lost in the moment, for she had wanted this all her life as well. She tried really hard not to smile as he planted soft kisses on her lips. Her arms snaked their way around his neck. 

After several moments, the two slowly pulled away. Link felt himself come to his senses, and his eyes widened. Did he really just do that? He went to speak, and his words came out as a stammered mess.   
"I uh- I'm sorry if that was too much. I just really like you and-"   
"Link!" Zelda laughed. "It's okay! Don't apologise, silly!" 

The pair soon decided it was time to get some rest. The air was turning colder, so getting wrapped up in their sleeping bags was very tempting. Before falling asleep, the pair quietly gazed up at the stars, pointing out constellations. In the middle of Link dozing off, he felt his friend gently plant a kiss on his cheek. He suddenly woke up, surprised.   
"Goodnight, Link." He heard her say, as she rolled over on to her side. The boy rolled onto his side too, facing the other way. He couldn't help but smile like an idiot.  
"Sleep well, Zelda." 

For the first time, in a long time, Link slept rather well that night.


	13. Something in the Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Zelda make a lot of progress in their journey to the home of the "sea dwellers", but nothing was sailing smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!! I don't really have anything major I wanna say rn, so ONCE AGAIN, reminder to follow this story's Instagram at @ new.horizons_ss , where I post the story, story-related doodles, general Zelda art, Linktober entries, chat shit on my insta story 😂 etc. 
> 
> Thank you so much for supporting my work, I love y'all so much, you are PRECIOUS!!! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this one!

By the time morning came, it seemed that the fairies had hid in the shadows in order to take a rest. The beautiful flowers that decorated the clearing floor soaked in the warm sunlight, and the grass was drizzled with an early morning dew. 

Once the two were both up, they didn't really talk a lot, but the quietness between them didn't feel awkward at all. Instead, they both could see that the other was shy, and in shock from what had happened. 

Every time Zelda looked at her friend, she was reminded of the night before. She remembered the way his soft lips connected with hers, and how wonderful he felt in her arms.   
As they were getting ready for the day, they would occasionally make eye contact. Zelda couldn't help but shyly shift her eyes away from his, while trying to hide her blushing cheeks with her hair. Link would try to hide the stupid smile on his face. 

The two settled for some small bird eggs for breakfast, packed their things, got ready, and started their journeying for the day. The atmosphere was still pretty quiet, but the sounds of crunching leaves and chirping birds was wonderful to listen to. 

Every now and then, their hands gently brushed as they walked alongside each other. Zelda was ready to move her hand out of the way, when she suddenly felt the other gently take it. Slowly, Link intertwined his fingers with her's, and gave her hand a small squeeze. The girl glanced down in surprise, and back up at him. The boy's cheeks glowed as he gave her a warm smile; the latter shared the expression. 

About an hour into their walk, they heard the sounds of gushing water. Intrigued, Zelda stepped in front, and faught through the cluster of branches to the bright light ahead of them. Outside of the woods, an enormous, rushing river trailed off as far as their eyes could see. The patch of grass they stood on led down to a small sand bank, which sat alongside the violent current. Zelda looked at her map, and then back at the crashing waves that were racing into the distance.  
"This is perfect! The river travels in our desired direction. And, judging by the speed of that gushing water, we would cover a great distance in no time!" 

Link, eyes wide, stared down at the vast body of water, that crashed against the razor sharp rocks.   
"Are you kidding?! There's no way we're doing this!"   
Zelda scoffed.   
"Why not? It makes sense to use it to our advantage!" 

The girl glanced over to an abundance of small trees that were growing beside the river. If they were going to travel on the water, then they were going to need to build a raft. She began hastily pacing over to the trees.  
"Zelda! Where are you going?!" Link hissed. He began chasing after her. "It's not a good idea! It's not safe!" 

Zelda rolled her eyes at him. "Oh come on, Link! It can't be that bad! Look at all the dangerous things you've done in the past! I mean, you've even rafted on lava before! This is nothing in comparison!" 

The boy sighed, and looked at her with a worried expression.   
"Yes, but I didn't care if I got hurt. You're here now, and I have to consider your safety."   
His friend's playful expression faded, and she fell silent. He continued.   
"Besides, I did what I did to save you, not because I thought it would be fun." 

Zelda pouted. Logically, she knew he was right. It was too dangerous to go anywhere near that river. However, being the hard-headed person she is, she wasn't going to give in without a fight. 

After an eternity of pleading, begging, pouting and the occasional flirting, she managed to break him down. 

"Alright, fine!" Link growled. "We'll build the damn raft."   
Zelda unwrapped her arms from around his shoulders, and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek. The irritated boy glared at her, but blushed furiously at her actions. He hated how she could charm her way through anything. He was like putty in her hands. 

Breaking apart the trees, and using some other natural materials they could find, they built a small wooden raft. Link found a piece of rope at the bottom of his satchel, which they used to secure everything in place. 

Zelda stood back and dusted her hands, admiring their creation.   
"Hey, Link! We could use your sailcloth as the... 'sail'. Pretty fitting for the job, if you ask me."   
Link's expression fell. His eyes trailed to the floor, and he chewed his inner lip.  
The other noticed his sad, bothered look, and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"   
Continuing to avoid her stare, he hesitantly spoke. He played with his gloves awkwardly.   
"I...ruined it." His voice was low, and shameful.   
"What do you mean?" His friend asked, tilting her head.   
"While I was travelling, it got damaged. It often got torn during battles, the weather got to it, Eldin Volcano erupted-"   
Link looked up at her with a guilty look in his eyes. "I'm really sorry. I could see all the hard work you put into making it. It's really sentimental to me. I should've been more careful with it-"   
"Don't worry, Link." Zelda interrupted, her voice soft. She smiled sweetly at him. "You used it to save me."   
Link smiled sadly back at her.   
"Can I...see it?" The girl dared to ask. 

Slowly, the hero pulled the fabric from out of his pocket. Zelda walked over to him and closely examined it. The sailcloth was merely remains of what it once was before, back when he was first given it. She ran her fingers over it. Holes were scattered all over it, and the fabric that once glowed a bright white was now brown with dirt, dried blood and ash. The blue thread of the carefully stitched loftwing symbol had began to loosen and fray.   
A sad pout sat on Zelda's lips. "Oh Link...You should've told me. I could've fixed it!"   
"I'm sorry." Her friend mumbled. "I didn't want to upset you." 

In the end, they tied one of their blankets to the wooden pole that stood in the centre of the raft. It was a thicker material, making it not as effective, but it did the job nonetheless.   
"Are you ready?" Zelda asked cheerily.   
Her friend took another look at the river.  
"No."   
The girl rolled her eyes again and giggled. They dragged the raft down to the small river bank, where they could push it into the water. The goddess hopped on and hugged the pole. Link firmly grasped the edge of the raft, and began heaving it into the current. Suddenly, the creation felt light. It began moving along on the water.   
"Quick, Link!" The girl called out as the raft began to drift away. "Jump on!"   
Link began dashing after the raft, and with a massive leap, he managed to land on it.

To the left, then the right, and then to the left again. Like they were doing some kind of synchronised dance, the pair had to step side to side in order to steer away from the vast, jagged rocks that stood above the surface of the water. Both of them had a firm grip on the flimsy sail, that blew them all over the place.

Zelda was cheering and laughing from the adrenaline rush, while Link feared for their lives. He stared down at how rickety their quickly-made raft was.   
"Zelda, don't you see this being a bad idea, AT ALL?"   
"Why would I?" His friend laughed. "This is amazing! Something we would never have done in Skyloft. Look at all this beautiful wildlife!" 

A plethora of fish, varying in beautiful colours, shapes, and sizes, surrounded the raft. In the far distance, the girl caught a glimpse of an enormous fin that momentarily emerged from of the water. She pointed at it, gasping.   
"Look at the size of that fish over th-" 

Zelda suddenly let out a deafening scream, startling the other. Link's head snapped round to look. It was one of the most horrific sights they had ever seen. Half in, and half out of the water, was a sickly green monster with fierce red eyes, red fins on it's head, and thick red lips that were curled into an evil smile. They had never witnessed any creature or demon like it before, and therefore they didn't know what was coming next.

"You control the raft, I'll take care of this." The boy commanded. He firmly stood on the end of the raft, and drew his sword and shield. He was ready to fight, but not ready for this unknown beast's next move. The creature took in a deep breath, and spat out a giant ball of flames that came flying at great speed towards them.   
"Swerve! Now!" Link yelled.   
"What?! Why?!" Zelda asked, the sound of panic increasing in her voice.   
"Just do it! NOW!   
Without another thought, Zelda stomped to her left, drastically tilting the raft so much it almost capsized. The two yelped out, struggling to maintain their balance. She heard a loud noise that flew past her head, and when she turned to look, she saw the ball of flames that must have missed her by only several inches. 

Suddenly, the water creature dived back under the water. Link scanned the water to see where it had travelled to, and just as he dreaded, he heard Zelda let out a terrified shriek once again. The beast had appeared in front of the raft, and they were heading straight towards it. Just like before, another fireball came flying towards them, causing Zelda to violently swerve the raft to the right. 

They soon realised that this creature wasn't alone. Another appeared to the left of them. And then another to the right. And before they knew it, these creatures had completely infested the water. They were trapped.

In unison, they all inhaled deeply, before forming the familiar orange glows. 

Soon the river became a battle field full of fireballs targeted at the pair. A ball to the left of them, a ball to the right of them. Zelda began darting around the raft, narrowly missing their attacks. The water began moving faster. One monsters managed to sneak up to the raft and lay its long, webbed fingers on the edge of it. Link gasped and acted quickly, forcing his sword into the monster's skull. A blood-curdling scream filled the air, before the monster sank back into the water.   
"Link! Watch out!" Zelda cried out.   
The boy noticed the red light in the corner of his eye, and instinctively used all his might to bash the fireball away with his shield. The mass flew back in the direction it came from, and smacked one of the monsters right in the face. It cried out in agony, before also collapsing back into the waves. 

While Link was able to deflect one of the fireballs, that didn't mean he could stop the others. The pair heard a loud crashing sound. The raft took a critical hit instead. 

Flames began to form on the remaining dry parts of the wood. Rapidly, the fire engulfed the sail pole, and then the sail itself. They didn't have much time left to save themselves.

Link frowned in confusion as all of the creatures suddenly dived back under the water, and didn't return. Before he could ask any questions, Zelda cried out to him.   
"I-I think that's why they left!"   
The girl's shaky hand pointed ahead of them. In front of them lay the edge of a waterfall, with no bottom of it in sight. Link's eyes darted around, looking for a way out. There were no trees to grab or river banks to jump on to. They had no choice but to brace themselves for what was going to happen next. 

Without another moment passing by, the raft began to tip over the edge.   
"Grab my hand!" The hero shouted to the other, who followed suit. 

The raft began to slip from under their feet, and now they were plummeting towards the giant body of water far below. The two let out terrified screams as they fell through the air. All they could do was squeeze their eyes shut and pray that they would survive. 

The ice cold water was a shock to their systems as they splashed into it. Link got himself back up to the surface as fast as possible, and his heart stopped when he saw he was the only one who had emerged. He felt that his hand was empty. The impact of the water had made her let go.   
"No... No no no no..."

He suddenly couldn't breathe. He felt like he was choking. He felt bile rise in his throat as he feared for the worst. He couldn't tell if it was just the water, or beads of tears in his eyes, but he felt his eyes sting.   
"Zelda! Where are you?!" 

After a second, the girl appeared at the surface of the water too, taking in a massive gasp for air. Link let out a sigh of relief, and quickly grabbed on to her arm. With all his might, he faught against the current to get them onto dry land. Once the water was shallow enough, the pair flopped onto the sandy riverbank, struggling to catch their breath. 

Link stared up at the sky, trying not to focus on the agonising pain he was in, from his body slamming against the surface of the water. With a pained groan, he weakly propped himself up to face his friend who laid beside him. She coughed and spluttered from the water that started to seep into her lungs.

"Are you alright?" The boy asked. She seemed to struggle to get her words out, but she looked like she was going to be alright. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you?"  
He nodded. 

Link had the strong urge to yell at her, saying that he was right: that it was a terrible idea. She could've died! She nearly did die! 

The horrible thoughts of what could've happened fogged the boy's mind. His chest ached, his heart stopped. However, he couldn't bring himself to express his feelings to her. He just didn't have the energy right now. 

After a few moments, the pair sat up and stared into the clear water as they tried to recover. A chilly breeze picked up, and Zelda began to hold her arms, while chattering her teeth. Luckily, their bags were fairly sealed shut, so their possessions were somewhat dry. Link pulled out the last remaining blanket, and gently placed it around the girl's shoulders. It was rather damp, but it was better than nothing. In response, the girl held onto the blanket, and smiled as she thanked him.   
"But aren't you going to get cold?" She asked.   
Link shook his head.   
"I must've fell into water fully clothed about a thousand times by now. Usually running around afterwards, fighting off enemies helps you forget about it." 

There was a long pause, before Zelda let out a sigh. "Alright. I admit it. It was a bad idea."   
"A terrible one." Link muttered.   
Zelda crossed her arms.  
"To be fair, I didn't know that we were going to be under attack by a hoard of giant, aquatic, slimy, fire-breathing monsters." 

In the distance, they could see the burning remains of their raft floating down the much calmer river. On the horizon layed a vast body of blue water, that spread to the edges of the landscape.   
"The sea?!" The girl gasped.

Zelda suddenly had a burst of energy, and leaped to her feet. "We may have nearly died from the sharp rocks, monsters, and falling over the edge of a waterfall, but we've travelled so far, and so quickly, that we've made it! We've finally made it!" 

Link slowly stood up and stretched. He didn't get a moment to come to his senses before his friend grabbed his hand. "The 'sea dwellers' must be nearby! Come on!"  
Excitedly, Zelda tightened her grip, and dragged her friend down the sandy path that led to the beach below.


	14. The Zora's Domain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While enjoying each other's company at the beach, the two spot a strange-looking creature in the distance, that leads them to finding the "sea dwellers" they have been searching long and hard for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very nervous and excited about this part of my story, as this is the start of where New Horizons really gets wild and includes one of the main themes of the overal narrative. 
> 
> For a long time I was really anxious about this being too weird, but I've seen a lot of y'all's AU's and OC designs and everything which made me feel a lot better and inspired me to believe in my work more, so thank you for that :)) 
> 
> I also did some concept art of some of the new characters in this chapter, so yes here is another reminder to follow my Instagram @ new.horizons_ss, where soon I'll share those drawings as well! 
> 
> I hope you like this!
> 
> EDIT: I am so sorry there's like 827272736 typos in this I clearly need to sleep more omg this is embarrassing

Standing atop a large sand dune, the two were mesmerised by the saphire waves that crashed against the soft white sand. It was so relaxing to hear the wind blowing, which carried the water along. To smell the salty sea air was a strange sensation, but it was oddly refreshing as well. Zelda stared up at a flock of unfamiliar, small grey and white birds that created a melody from their repeated cawing. They magestically twisted and turned in the air, and even sometimes hovered using the strong gusts.

Link spoke up.  
"Shall we walk down to the-"  
He turned to face his friend mid-sentence, to find that she was gone.  
"Zelda?" 

Without him even noticing, the girl had began sprinting down to the beach below. The boy chased after her.  
"Hey! Wait up!" 

In the blink of an eye, Zelda threw off her boots, rolled up her trousers and paddled around in the cool, clear water. "Wow! We really have spent thousands of years missing out on things like this!" 

Link eventually caught up, and watched her dance around from the dry sand.  
"Come on!" his friend called out. "Aren't you going to join in?! The water's really nice!"  
Link laughed and shook his head, feeling like he'd look silly to splash around in the water like that.  
"No, I'm good."  
"Why not?! It's not everyday you get to come to somewhere like this. You should enjoy it!"  
Link crossed his arms and smiled politely again. "No, really, I'm fine- HEY!"  
Zelda slowly waded through the water up to him, and before he could react, she playfully splashed him. 

"Hey! What's that for?!" He complained. "I've only just dried off from our near-death experience earlier!"  
Ignoring his nagging, the girl smiled at her friend devilishly. Without saying a word, she splashed him again.  
"Stop that!" He growled.  
Zelda giggled and continued to throw more handfuls of water in his direction. She stepped further away from him, so she could still bombard him with attacks of water, while there was no way he could reach her. "Make me."

Link let out an irritated sigh, before throwing his boots off and running after her. Both being rather competitive people, it felt as if the ground was rumbling from how hard they were splashing the water. Like a water fountain, water came falling down everywhere. It didn't take long for the two to be completely soaked like they were last time. 

Eventually, Zelda admitted defeat, and rested her hands on her knees. She laughed in between heavy breaths. Link wiped the water droplets from the ends of his soaked hair. His clothes clung to him once again. 

Looking at the other, the boy noticed she too was drenched from head to toe. As she looked at him, her eyes were curtained by her dripping wet bangs. He stepped closer to her, and slowly swept them to the side with his finger. 

The coldness of the water rouged her cheeks and tips of her ears, and beads of salt water glistened on her skin. Even as she stood there soaking wet, she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. 

He felt himself slowly leaning forwards, but obviously didn't fight it. He gently cupped her cold cheek, and pulled in closer. He could taste the saltiness of the sea water on her lips, but the softness of them was addicting. The girl held onto his arms, while also feeling herself fall deeper into the moment. She noticed that she feels so particularly happy, and safe in moments like this. There was something about him being so close to her, and feeling his warmth around her, that just felt so magical. 

All of a sudden, Link pulled away. He furrowed his eyebrows as he stared past his friend. Zelda tilted her head in confusion.  
"What's wrong?"  
"I... Feel like we're being watched." He muttered. 

Upon turning around to also look, Zelda quietly gasped in shock, as she watched a peculiar blueish dot slowly emerge from a cave in the distance. Squinting her eyes, she still could make out that the mysterious shape appeared to have similar anatomy to a human: a head, two arms, and two legs. 

She held her breath as she watched the figure take a couple steps out of the shadows, freeze as it spotted the pair, and quickly darting back inside. 

"HEY! WAIT!" The girl yelled out, as she began darting out of the water.  
"Zelda! Don't yell!" Link advised as he chased after her. "We don't even know what this thing is yet!"

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Inside of the cave layed out a long, twisting and turning path that went deeper and deeper down into the earth. The cave seemed rather lifeless, sparing the ominous howling wind, and the quiet, slow sounds of water dripping from stalactites. 

The path ahead was uneven, and slippery from the algae that had formed over the rocks. Slowly and carefully, the pair walked deeper into the cave. Remaining rays of sunlight from the entrance above quickly faded away, and the two were in complete darkness. With no torches, matches or candles, they decided to risk it and proceed with caution. 

They couldn't see a hand in front of them, and whenever they didn't speak, they often wondered if the other was still there beside them. Link began, twisting and turning, trying to remember which direction they were meant to be heading in. In the middle of him pacing around, he bumped into his friend.  
"Zelda?"  
"Yeah?" 

Zelda's voice echoed from in the distance, nowhere near him.  
The hero's eyes widened. He heard not very human-like sounds coming from whatever was behind him. The breaths were deep and loud, indicating that this creature was much larger than him. His hand accidentally brushed against flesh that felt wet and smooth, like some kind of amphibian. He leaped back and drew his sword in an instant, letting out a battle cry to the unknown beast. The tall creature turned around to reveal his face that was illuminated by the small torch he was carrying. 

Due to the poor lighting, the boy could barely see what he was looking at, but this thing was beyond anything he could've ever imagined. The creature had a long, pointed nose, and no ears, no hair, no fur, but a smooth head that curved into the shape of a fish's tail. He stood around a couple feet taller than the other, with a very toned abdomen, huge biceps, and what appeared to be fins accentuating from his limbs. The beast's ashy eyes looked down at the other. 

Link gasped at the sight of them, while the latter let out a deafening shriek. Link tightened the grip on his sword as he charged forwards. To his surprise, the other covered his eyes, and cowered away.  
"NO! NO! PLEASE! DON'T HURT ME!" The creature cried out, trembling with fear. Link came to halt right before he struck. He slowly withdrew his sword from beside their neck.

The mysterious figure lowerd his hands, and looked at Link in surprise, feeling grateful that he was still alive.  
"You... You didn't kill me!" He whispered. 

For a moment, the beast scanned the small boy.  
"Your hair...those... THINGS you are wearing! Your FACE!" The tall creature exclaimed. "What kind of monster are you?!"  
"I'm not a monster." Link replied.  
The other let out a sigh of relief. 

"Well then, I'm Hikor, a member of the Zora tribe. And what is your name...'creature that's not a monster'?" 

The hero's eyes scanned the strange being. "Link." He quietly replied, hesitating before he did so. "I'm a human." 

Suddenly, the introduction was interrupted by Zelda stumbling into her friend. "Link?! What was all the screaming abou- AHHH!" 

The girl shrieked out in terror at the sight of the unknown creature. The two boys winced in pain at the deafening sound.

After realising the creature wasn't intending to do any harm, she slowly relaxed.  
"Zelda, this is Hikor." Link introduced.  
"H-hi, Hikor..." She stuttered, lost for words. With her eyes wide open and jaw dropped, she examined the Zora.  
"Wait..." Zelda whispered. "Dwellers of the Sea..."  
She glanced at Hikor's large fins that extended from his long arms, his blue-ish smooth skin, and his fishtail-shaped head.  
"You are...who we have been looking for!" She exclaimed.  
Hikor raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"  
Zelda stepped forwards into the light more. The creature could see the sparkle in her eyes. "We have travelled far to come and find those that live among the sea." 

The girl's answer left the latter with even more questions, but decided to leave them until later.  
"Ah, well, we've never had visitors before. I'm not so sure about this...But I suppose you can't just stay in the dark down here. Follow me."  
The tall creature turned to face the rest of the walkway.  
"It's really dark down here, so watch your step!" 

Link and Zelda slowly walked behind the beast. The silence between the three of them developed an awkward atmosphere as more time passed.  
In the end, the Zora spoke up, feeling it was rude to neglect his new, unexpected "guests".  
"So...how did you find out about us? We have never came into contact with...your kind before."  
Zelda glanced at her friend.  
"It's... kind of a long story, really."  
"When I first saw that there were two strange looking creatures on the beach, I thought the Lizalfos were attacking the beaches once again. I didn't realise it was you two.  
Hikor hesitated before mentioning the last part.  
"I'm...sorry if I interrupted your little 'moment'". 

Link tugged on the collar of his shirt as the room immediately felt hotter. He felt his face burn up uncontrollably as he shifted his stare.  
Zelda bit her lip, also cringing from embarrassment. 

The three stepped into a beautiful cavern, that was filled with rock pathways and ledges that spiralled up to the high ceiling above. Rays of white sunlight spilled through the cracks of the roof, and shone down onto the domain. Gently humming in their ears was the sounds of water gently crashing into the vast body of water below them. 

However, there was something rather...off. Unlike the beautiful, crystal blue sea water outside, this water was soiled with a vast amount of thick purple sludge. Many of Hikor's kind sat beside the large pools of the mysterious liquid, staring down at it in confusion.

As the three came into visibility, the Zoras gasped in horror at the sight of them. Without another second passing, some leaped into a defensive stance, while others rushed to grab their wooden spears. Zelda let out a yelp in fear, and shuffled closer to Link. The hero kept his hand on the handle of his sword, ready to draw it any moment. His narrowed eyes glared back at the angry tribe members. Some of the group members dared to come closer, and circled the two newcomers. Their knuckles were white from their tight grasps on their weapons. The girl's eyes switched between their furious eyes, and the razor sharp ends of the spears that pointed at her. In an attempt to create distance between herself and them, she cowered away until she felt her friend next to her, giving her a sense of security. 

"No, wait! Everyone, stop!" Hikor yelled out. Everyone froze. Their eyes darted to the particular Zora, but continued to hold their weapons up.

"This is Link and Zelda." He broke the silence with. "I found them lost in the cave on the way down here."

One of the Zoras emerged from the group and crossed his arms. He was even taller, and more muscular than Hikor. His overall attitude, large biceps, and much more grand spear design suggested that he was in a significant rank within his tribe. A warrior. 

The creature's shadowed eyes glared down at the two. He remained silent for a moment before starting. His voice was deep and low, and he spoke while keeping his eyes locked on them.  
"Hikor, I'm sure you are well aware of the situation we are currently facing. We have fell victim to the hands of others too many times-"  
"But I feel like there's something different about these two!" Interrupted the latter. "They've travelled from far away to come to us. I don't know why, but I can feel that it's important. I wanted to take them to the King." 

The larger Zora uncrossed his arms. He smirked to himself. "Well, I sense no malicious intentions coming from these two. I don't think such small creatures could inflict much harm."  
Link couldn't help but glare at him, finding it embarrassing that he had made such a wrong assumption. However, he chose not to argue, for it wouldn't help their case.  
"Take them to the King." The other said to Hikor with a nod. 

The trio quietly walked up a spiral walkway to the "throne room". Along the way, Link noticed his friend had spaced out, lost in her own thoughts. She anxiously bit her lip, and stared down at the stone floor. 

When nobody was looking, he gently took her hand and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. Zelda snapped out of it, glanced at their connected hands, and then up at him. He tilted his head and gave her a warm smile. His kind eyes sparkled at her, which made a faint blush form on her cheeks. She returned the small grin. 

The trio walked through a grand archway, decorated with shells and carvings that formed exquisite patterns which trailed along the walls. 

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A loud, booming voice rumbled throughout the cave. The pair could feel the ground tremor as the voice spoke. 

Looking up, an enormous Zora, far larger than any of their kind, towered to the ceiling. His large stature made the two look like ants in comparison. Both of them could easily sit in the palms of his vast, bulky hands.

The King wore pieces of strange-looking, triple-crescent shaped orange coral: one that acted as a pin to hold together his red sash that draped over his muscular body, the other he wore as the centrepiece of his head adornment. Around his neck, wrists and ankles, were jewellery made of sea weed and other natural materials. On his biceps were a number of large scars, and a piece of flesh from his head fins seemed to had been torn away. It was evident that this man had been a powerful warrior at one point as well, despite his importance to his people. 

Hikor knelt on one knee to show is courtesy to the King. "Your majesty, we have had unexpected visitors. We thought it would be best for you to meet them first."  
"Visitors, eh?" The King mumbled. "We never have visitors..."  
The elder's eyes looked down upon the humans. He examined them closely with his narrow, grey eyes.  
"Name your business! We aren't afraid of you, mysterious tiny creatures." The king hissed through gritted teeth. "And if you you even think about-"  
"No! Really! We're not here to hurt you!" Zelda cried out. "I was sent here by the Goddess to find you." 

The King frowned in confusion.  
"The Goddess? Goddess who?"  
The girl stared at him in shock and horror, before remembering that these people obviously wouldn't ever have any connection with Hylia. They have a very different history to the one that she has had. 

Zelda explained some more.  
"Like yourselves, we have come to this place from a distant land. Until recently, this land was plagued with darkness and evil. It wasn't until afterwards, that, by chance, multiple tribes like ourselves had moved here."  
"I was relayed an important message from the Goddess Hylia, asking me to unify the tribes that have settled here." 

The large creature furrowed his eyebrows.  
"So wait... are you telling me that your kind, and we Zoras...are really not alone?" 

"No. I was entrusted with the duty of seeking out the dwellers of the Sea, Sand and Rock."  
Zelda looked at the King with her large, hopeful eyes. "And it seems like we have found one of them." 

The girl paused for a moment, before continuing. She fiddled with her hands.  
"It is our destiny to work together, in order to restore and revolutionise this land, and to prevent the evil from ever returning." 

Link shifted awkwardly; his eyes drifted to the floor. It was going to be difficult to convince this King, without telling him the harsh realities of this mysterious world. The negative thoughts that fogged the back of his mind began to come forth again, but he shook off the feeling as quickly as it came. Now wasn't the time to dwell. 

The King let out a loud chuckle. "Look, child. I have absolutely no idea who and what you are, and what you're even talking about, and right now, I do not have the time to worry about your silly little tales."  
"No! I'm being serious!" Cried the girl.  
"Hikor, will you please see these two out?" 

Hikor sadly stared at the pair, giving them an apologetic look. He stepped forwards and placed his hands on their shoulders, getting ready to pull them away. 

"At the moment, our domain is in a state right now. Hoardes of enemies keep invading our waters and threatening my people, as you can see, our water supply has been sullied by the mob of Lizalfos residing out at sea, and the last thing we need right now is distractions like you two." 

Zelda stared at the King, heartbroken, and in disbelief. Her sad eyes glistened with tears. She tried fighting against Hikor's firm grasp on her, but he was too strong. "Please, let us go! This is so important!" 

They had gone through so much to get here, and now all their hard work was all about to be thrown away. 

Link felt terrible seeing her so upset. It was always painful to watch her cry. He quickly tried to thinkof something, ANYTHING he could possibly do to resolve this situation. 

"Where are the Lizalfos?" He asked the elder. Everyone suddenly paused, thrown off by him speaking to the King for the first time. The King leaned forwards; Hikor kept his hands on the two, but stopped trying to pull them away. 

"What did you just say?" The large Zora asked.  
"Where are the Lizalfos? I can help you." 

Zelda's head snapped round. "Link?!" She hissed quietly. "What are you-" 

The King suddenly burst into hysterical laughter, making the cave rattle and shells fall from the walls and smash onto the floor.  
"You?!" He laughed. "You think you can help us?! Young lad, you ought to go to the water and see your reflection!" 

"My warriors have tried to overthrow them many times before. They're extremely territorial, and vast in numbers. Many of even the most proficient fighters come back with broken fins and everything. A small, soft boy like yourself doesn't stand a chance." 

Link gritted his teeth in annoyance, frustrated that every single person he meets makes the same assumption, even after everything he had been through. He remained calm and polite towards his majesty.  
"I'll take care of all of them."

"I admire your courage, but not your senses. It matters not to me, what you decide to do."  
Seeing the determined look on the hero's face, the King let out a sigh. "To your right leads to the room where you'll find my three lovely daughters. They will help you get to the nearest exit." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Look! Over there! He must be the brave swordsman that everyone has been talking about!" 

As Link and Zelda walked further into the cave, they heard a girl's voice squeal coming from a distance. 

Emerging from the shadows were three beautiful Zora girls. One of them looked to be slightly older than the two humans, with her well-defined body curves, dark purple under her brows that brought attention to her sharp, flirtatious eyes, and darker purple lips that highlighted how full they were. She also wore a odd-shaped coral, as a pendant on her pearl necklace, as well as a beautifully made seaweed crown that went around her head. 

"Oh my, well aren't you so handsome!" The mature Zora giggled loudly. Link stopped in his tracks, and stared at her, eyes wide open in surprise. Zelda was taken aback by the Zora girl's bold gesture.  
The princess continued to step forwards, flaunting her curvy figure with every step, smirking at the boy. 

"Eleta! Where are your manners! He's only just got here!" One of the other girls scowled. This one was taller and thinner than Eleta. Her baby face indicated she was a little bit younger than her sister. Her orange coral sat on a string of pearls, that went around her waist. Atop her head sat a vibrant orange coral crown that matched. 

The older Zora flipped her head fin back over her shoulders with a smile.  
"My apologies. My name is Eleta. I'm the oldest daughter of our King."  
Eleta then gestured to the taller girl.  
"This is Rela, the second oldest daughter."  
Rela blushed as she smiled brightly at the boy. "Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you." 

The third Zora was much smaller than the other two. By her appearance, she seemed to be around twelve years of age. She wore a very cute crown made of plants from the sea floor. Her large, round, innocent eyes sparkled as she stared at the hero, and her cheeks turned a dark shade of purple. 

Presumably, due to her shyness, she hid behind the other two, until Rela forcefully pushed her forwards.  
"This is Lena. She's the youngest of the three of us." 

Unlike the other two's very confident introductions, the girl remained frozen in fear. Link blinked at the girl, wondering if she was actually going to say anything. 

Rela quickly bent down to her height and whispered to her.  
"Lena! Say hi! You're making it weird!" 

"H-hi." The young girl struggled to say. Her high-pitched voice broke from nervousness. Immediately after, she shifted her gaze away from him, and returned to hiding behind her sisters. 

All three of them had their own looks, all made from naturally-sourced materials such as shells and plants. Their heavy use of accessories as opposed to the other Zoras really showed off their status. 

Eleta got uncomfortably close to the boy, and linked her arm with his. With her other free hand, she invited herself to feel his bicep.  
"I can see why you're so confident to tackle the monsters all on your own. You most certainly train hard."  
Link gasped at her bold move. All the blood in his body rushed to his cheeks. He didn't know what to do, or how to respond, and anything he did try to say came out in a stuttery, jumbled mess.  
"I-I-Uh, T-Thanks..." 

Rela stepped forwards and pinched his cheek. "But how can such a strong, courageous fighter look so cute?!" She squealed. 

"Yeah." Eleta giggled. She began combing combing his hair behind his ears with her finger. "With such fluffy hair and pointy ears! How adorable-" 

"AHEM!" 

Everyone fell silent, and turned to face Zelda. She stood there, gritting her teeth and arms crossed. Her face had turned a firey red with rage, and her furious eyes pierced straight through the two older girls. 

Unimpressed, the two slowly backed away from Link. He gave her a look as if to thank her for saving him.  
"Oh! I'm so very sorry for leaving you out there!" Eleta said with a giggle, very fakely. "And what is your name?"  
"Zelda." She muttered.  
Both of the girls looked up and down at one another.

Eleta forced a polite smile.  
"So, what can we help you with?  
"Your father said that you will take us to the nearest exit to the shore." Replied Link.  
"Alright. Just this way. Follow me!" 

Once the group had reached the cave opening, Eleta pointed to a tiny black dot that sat on the horizon. Stemming from it was a long stream of murky black water, that flowed into the small entrances of the cave. "You see that little dot over there? That's the Lizalfos' hideout. I would assume that you're going to craft some kind of transport or something to get there. You're a smart boy, I'm sure you've got something in mind."  
The older Zora flirtatiously winked at the hero. "Good luck out there. It'd be our displeasure to never see you again." 

The three girls dismissed themselves, each of them giving Zelda a look on the way back. Zelda didn't hesitate to glare back at them. 

Link began walking out onto the sand.  
"Alright, so if I'm going further out at sea, I need to make another raft. Preferably one that doesn't catch fire this time." 

He noticed that there was a long silence after he spoke, and turned around to face the other. "Hm?" 

Zelda stood there with her arms crossed.  
"What's wrong?" He asked.  
The girl continued to remain silent, but turned to face away from him. Link tilted his head.  
"Zelda?"  
"...I don't like the way those Zora princesses were talking to you."  
The boy scratched the back of his head. "Yeah...They were...VERY forward, and VERY friendly." 

Suddenly his friend snapped round, angry and upset.  
"But YOU didn't make any effort to stop them!"  
"I-I didn't know how to!" The other defended. His worried tone showed he was scared of upsetting her.  
"I didn't want to be rude to them, especially since they're the Zora princesses. Maybe it's just their way of being nice-"  
"Wake up, Link! They were flirting with you!" Zelda yelled. "I'm a girl! I know exactly what they were doing! That wasn't just some sweet, friendly conversation you were having with them!"  
"I mean... I wouldn't say that I was having a conversation with them-"  
"I DON'T CARE!"  
Link winced at her deafening shriek. He took a a moment to carefully think about what to say next, since he really didn't need her to be even more angry than she already was. 

The hero took in a deep breath.  
"I'm really sorry, Zelda. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm obviously knew to all this. I've... just got a lot to learn about these kinds of things." 

To his relief, his friend's expression softened, and she brought her voice back down to a much quieter level.  
"It's okay."  
She awkwardly looked away from him. A sad look resided in her eyes as she stared down at the sand. "It's just- it's just that I don't like seeing people be like that with you." 

Link slowly stepped forwards, closing the gap between them. He gently cupped one of her blushing cheeks and stroked it with his thumb. The girl went to go and look up at him, but he surprised her with a small kiss on her lips. 

He pulled away and gazed at her lovingly through slightly lidded eyes.  
"It's okay, Zelda. I'm not interested in anyone else but you."  
His friend couldn't help but smile and blush at his comment. She felt giddy. 

The boy smiled. "Come on, I need your help to make a raft. But, let's try and make it at least a little bit sturdier than the last one." 

Zelda laughed. "If you keep up that attitude, you can make it yourself!"


	15. To the Base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being the selfless person he is, Link sets off to the sea in order to fix the Zoras' Lizalfos infestation problem. Meanwhile, Zelda gets to know the new tribe better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is HECKIN' chonky too, so sorry if there's A LOT to get through 😩😂 I thought about splitting Link and Zelda's parts into two different chapters but I really liked how it switched between them. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you for always supporting me, and we nearly at 100 followers on instagram! 😂 When I get there, I wanna do a lil sumn or two for y'all so you know what's coming: insta name is @ new.horizons_ss !!! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

"Annnnd behold! Raft number two!" Zelda announced proudly. She stepped away from the pair's creation, and admired it as she stood there with her hands on her hips. 

"It looks good!" Link replied, as he brushed some dust off of his leather gloves. "We make a good team."  
Zelda smiled.  
"I know we do! Remember when the class got to make giant paper loftwings back in 5th Grade, and we were paired together? Our bird looked so good!"  
Her friend raised an eyebrow.  
"The one where we threw it from the roof and it hit Fledge square in the face?"  
"Oh, maybe that day didn't go EXACTLY how I remembered it."  
The boy chuckled slightly.  
"It was still an impressive paper loftwing. It hit him right in between the eyes."  
"You shouldn't laugh about it! That's mean!" Scowled the other, trying not to laugh herself. 

There was a short pause, before Zelda turned her attention back to the raft.  
"So, are we all good to go?"  
The hero blinked at the other. "We?"  
"Well...yeah? We're adventuring TOGETHER, aren't we?" She replied, emphasising her words.  
Link gave her an apologetic look.  
"I'm sorry, Zelda. You can't come along with me-"  
The girl's jaw dropped. "What?! Why not?"  
"It's just not safe for you. You heard the Zora King: even his best fighters couldn't defeat them. You would be too much at risk even just being nearby. You should return to the Zora's domain, where you'll be safe." 

Zelda scoffed and rolled her eyes. "So you just made me help you build a raft for the last hour only for you to not even let me join you?!"  
"Heh...Sorry about that." He mumbled, awkwardly smiling and scratching the back of his head. "But I did need the help."  
"What if you get hurt?!" 

The boy smiled at her reassuringly. "I won't. Don't worry."  
His friend pouted.  
"So what do I even do while you're gone?!"  
"Return to the cave and don't leave it. Even out here there's loads of monsters lurking about. I'll come back when I'm done. Until then, maybe you could tag along with Hikor, or the sisters-" 

"Ugh!" she scoffed loudly. "You really think I'm going to spend time with those girls?! I'd actually rather just be out here being attacked by a moblin or something."  
Link have her an unimpressed look.  
"Just go inside Zelda, I shouldn't be too long. You'll be fine." 

The other let out an irritated huff and crossed her arms. "Fine."  
She began to walk away, before she stopped briefly. As she turned around, her expression softened slightly. The way she spoke was more gentle.  
"Come back safely, okay?"

Link smiled again.  
"I will, don't worry." 

And with that, the girl hesitantly went back inside. The hero turned back to his raft, and began pushing it towards the water. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Just like what Zelda specifically wished not to happen, it didn't take long for her to bump into the three Zora Princesses. 

"You're back here early!" Eleta joked sarcastically. Her voice was sickly sweet. "Were the Lizalfos too much for you?"  
Zelda glared at the other.  
"I was sent back here in order to stay safe."  
"Hmm, yeah." The older Zora muttered as she looked her up and down. "You didn't seem like much of a fighter to me." 

Zelda held back from picking a fight with her, and just remained silent. The creature continued.  
"Well, I suppose we'll allow you into our little group for the time being. Being such an outcast, I don't know how comfortable my people are with you being around them right now."

The three began to walk ahead. Eleta flipped her large head fin over her shoulder and gave her a stare. "Come along, but, try not to embarrass us too much." 

Zelda scoffed in disbelief.  
"This girl really has some nerve!" She thought.  
Gritting her teeth and digging her nails into her palms, she hesitantly followed on behind them. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

As Link approached the wooden camp, he could see what appeared to be around 15 Lizalfos. Some were busy devouring fish caught from the water below, others were on lookout. The boy's original plan was to sneak in beside the pillars of the structure, but seeing that so many of them were alert, that wasn't a possibility. He let out a disappointed sigh, for he knew that he had no choice but to fight them all head on.

Fortunately, a large gust of wind came along which sent the raft racing towards the camp. The wooden platform crashed and splashed against the army of violent waves in front of him. 

Once he was close enough, the monsters' crazed, yellow eyes locked onto him. Within an instant, they sent deafening screeches into the air, alerting their other tribe members. Link hastily pulled out his whip, and snapped it around the base of the structure. With all his might, he faught against the strong current and powerful gale, and pulled the raft up alongside it. He leaped and climbed onto the platform, and then, in the blink of an eye, drew his sword. 

The beasts slowly edged towards him, licking their lips devilishly with their freakishly long tongues. Link's glaring eyes burned into the multitude of opponents. He tightened the grip on his weapon. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Sitting with the Zora princesses was one of the most boring moments of Zelda's life. Sure, being Gaepora's daughter, she had the misfortune of sitting through HOURS of meetings between her father and the other instructors, but nothing compared to this. 

At least Zelda was lucky enough to be allowed to sit in one of the finest, most well-decorated rooms the cave had to offer. It seemed like ordinary Zora were rarely allowed entry, since the only other people that came through were the King's servants and advisors. 

She propped her head up with her elbow as she listened to the girls chatter away about silly little things- completely excluding her from the conversation. They shared rumours they heard about other members of their tribe, and made jokes about them. Zelda was shocked to see these three "princesses" act so two-faced and disrespectful towards their people. Sure, she wasn't royalty, but as someone who needs to take care of her own people, she could never bring herself to act that way. Unfortunately, it was evident that their high status had gotten to their heads. 

While the girl had zoned out, she was brought back to reality by Rela speaking up.  
"So, Zelda. What was the reason you and Link came here again?" 

Zelda blinked at the other, surprised that they actually had some kind of intention to talk to her.  
"I was sent here by the Goddess Hylia to find you and other tribes. She told me that-"  
"Oh," Eleta sighed. "I already knew that. Father had already told us about your strange little... fairytale."  
"It's not a fairytale!" The Goddess snapped. The whole room fell silent. Rela and Lena stared at her in surprise.  
"Why else would Link and I come all this way to do this?!"  
The princess giggled.  
"Well, with that attitude, I would just assume that you're crazy."  
Zelda growled at the other; her face burning red with rage.  
"I think the way you're talking to me is atrocious! You have absolutely no idea who you're even talking to!" 

"Oh, really?" Eleta put her hand on her hips smirkec. "Then please, do go on and tell me."  
The other held her breath for a moment, trying to calm herself down.  
"I'm doing all this because I AM her. I AM the Goddess in her mortal form, and Link has the unbreakable spirit of the Goddess' Chosen Hero, who's skills are unlike no other. And you'll see that when he returns." 

The three girls gave her the longest, judging stare. After a moment, they all laughed.  
"Oh, wow." Spoke Eleta. "You're actually rather funny." 

Zelda stood up from where she was seated, and shot them all the most feirce glare she could.  
"If you don't mind, your highnesses, I would like to dismiss myself from this conversation. Enjoy the rest of your day." 

The sisters watched in amusement as she stormed off, heading back towards the exit of the cave. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Almost like he was performing some kind of dance, Link effortlessly leaped around, narrowly missing the violent swings of their spiked tails. As one would charge at him, he would step to the side of them, and slice through it's flesh. They let out agonising screams, but weren't ready to give up and retreat any time soon. These monsters were strong, and weren't going to go down without a good fight. The hero continued to strategically work his way through the large number of beasts. His sword was a blur: with it twisting and turning through the air. The constant sliding around and dodging attacks was starting to make him feel dizzy. While fighting another, one lizalfos crept up from behind, and swiped his side with it's giant claw. He felt a sharp pain as it's long, black talons pierced through his tunic, and ripped through his skin. The swipe made Link stop and wince in agony, which made him an even bigger target for more attacks. He took a deep breath, and tried to ignore the pain. Letting out another battle cry, he charged towards them again. 

Soon, 3 were left. Everyone slowed down. Nobody was charging at each other any more, but rather the monsters began to circle the boy, staring at him menacingly. Link slowly edged backwards, until he suddenly felt the flooring disappear from under his feet. He was standing on the edge of the platform. He could see the murky water below. He was trapped. His next moves were going to have to be tactical if he wanted to survive. 

Before they could land another blow on him, the boy swerved and threw out a spin attack on the three. This distracted them as they cried out in pain and held their wounds, which Link took as his opportunity to run. He ducked and rushed past them, and, before they could retaliate, he thrusted his sword through the middle one's back. With a harsh shove, the creature's limp body fell off of his blade and into the water below. 

The next one threw itself onto the boy, knocking him over. Their bodies slammed onto the solid wooden floor. Link gritted his teeth as he felt his spine and the back of his head take most of the impact. The strike to his head made him feel even more weak, but he knew he had to continue for just a little bit longer. The large beast crushed the boy as he sat on top of him, clawing at his face and chest. Link desperately tried to squirm out from underneath, but the creature was too vast and heavy. 

The other remaining lizalfos crept over, and raised its spiked tail. Link had no time to get out of the way, so instead, he suddenly grabbed onto the shoulders of the monster that was on top of him, and yanked him onto him even more. As the spiked ball came down, the air was filled with a horrible, loud crunching sound. From his eyes being squeezed shut, Link slowly opened them to see that the tail had smashed into the other monster's skull. The hurt lizalfos fell limp on top of Link, who then shoved it off of him and scrambled back up to his feet. The creature standing in front of him was the last one left.

Both of them slowly circled the other, sending vengeful glares their ways. Link's knuckles were white from him clenching his sword handle. His legs turned to jelly. Suddenly, the beast lunged forwards, to which Link jumped to the side and slashed at it's long torso. It screeched out in agony, before turning to the boy again. The creature leaped into the air, and swung its large tail around. Link back-fipped away from the attack, creating more distance between the two of them. The monster swung again, and again, until it began to get tired. That was when Link charged in. With the small amount of energy he had left, the hero spun on his heels to slice the beast from every angle, who stood there powerlessly. Eventually, the beast was too weak to go on, and collapsed to the ground with a low, faint groan. Link leaped high into the air, and held his sword ready. As he came down, he forced his sword straight through its large chest. The last Lizalfos was no more.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Zelda! Where are you going?" The girl heard someone call out to her. She stopped walking and turned around to find Hikor.  
"I'm going to go wait outside for Link." She muttered angrily.  
Hikor sensed her irritation, and frowned in confusion.  
"But you shouldn't do that, it's too dangerous outside. Even Link ordered you to stay here-"  
"Who cares what Link says!" The girl yelled. The Zora's eyes widened in shock.  
"I'm not staying here!"  
"Why not?" Asked the other.  
Zelda let out an irritated huff, and began storming towards him. He slowly backed up in mild fear.  
"Because I'm an outcast here!" She screeched. "I don't fit in at all, nobody understands me, everyone either thinks I'm an enemy, or a massive joke!" 

Hikor took a minute to figure out how to respond. When he spoke, his voice was calm and gentle.  
"You're none of those things, Zelda. None of this is your fault. We Zoras have never seen anything like your kind before. All we've ever known is fighting. Many of the older members of our tribe are still trying to heal from our terrible past. We have a lot of trust issues when it comes to...outsiders." 

"Well...then... What about everyone never believing anything I say! I know it all might sound crazy, but I could never make any of it up! I wouldn't lie like that!"  
Zelda crossed her arms and sadly stared down at the floor. "I'm just trying to do the right thing. I'm trying to fulfill my duty for the Goddess." 

Hikor put his hands on his hips.  
"You need to understand that nobody here is going to know what you're talking about. Heck, I can't even wrap my brain around some of it. What was it even- Goddess Heleena?"  
"Hylia!" She barked.  
"Right, sorry. Goddess Hylia." The male apologised.  
"Look, the thing is, your people and mine, we're just from very different backgrounds. We share different beliefs, and that's just what happens when you meet different people."  
Zelda slowly looked up at the tall creature, still sulking slightly.  
"It's going to take some time for us to get to know and understand each other better. But I can tell you this much," 

Hikor placed his large hand on her shoulder, and smiled.  
"I believe you Zelda. I don't think you're making any of this up. I could tell there was something special about you and Link when I first bumped into you."  
The girl gave him a small smile.  
"Thank you, Hikor." 

"Come on," the Zora spoke. "Things didn't start off so smoothly when you first came here, but I'll show you that we're not all that bad, really."  
He leaned in closer to the girl to mutter something.  
"The princesses...I can assure you they're really sweet, deep down. But, they're rather complicated characters, you know?"  
Zelda rolled her eyes.  
"Tell me about it." 

After that, the two headed back down to the main room. 

Courtesy of Hikor, Zelda was properly introduced to some of his friends, who were decorating the place with beautiful shells and palm leaves. She was nervous and shy at first, as were the Zoras, but with time, they all got along rather well. 

Once they were finished, the girl felt something poke her in the leg. Looking down, there were a few Zora children. They only came up to Zelda's hip in height, and had adorable chubby cheeks. They looked up at her with their large, sparkling eyes.  
"The decorations look so good, miss!" One of them gasped. "Our home looks so much more fun to play in now! Maybe sometime, you could play with us too!" 

Zelda knelt down to the children and smiled.  
"I'm glad you like them!"  
One of the other children spoke up.  
"Yeah I do! They're very pretty, just like you!"  
The girl awed and smiled bashfully.  
"Thank you! That's so sweet of you." 

The Zora child at the front stepped forward, and played with the ribbons in her hair.  
"Your hair is so beautiful!"  
Another poked her long, pointed ear.  
She was surprised by their actions, but didn't really mind.  
"I suppose all children are overly-curious, regardless of species." She thought. 

"Come on now, you three." One of the female Zoras jokingly scolded.  
"Leave Zelda alone, you'll frighten her off!"  
"Oh no, it's quite alright!" The girl said with a smile. "I too was always very fascinated by the littlest things when I was a child." 

In hindsight, Zelda was glad that Hikor had stopped her from storming out. It was a really wonderful atmosphere here; all what was needed was for both her and the tribe to give each other a chance. 

A little while later, the peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by a few sudden gasps from the Zoras sitting by the large water pool. Curious, everyone turned to look. 

The murky purple sludge began to wash away, and water began flowing back into the domain. "He had done it!" One of them cried out joyously. "That small boy with the sword had actually done it!"  
Zelda smiled proudly, knowing that he would succeed.  
Everyone began cheering loudly. Within minutes, the domain was filled with nothing but beautiful blue water once again. Some of them excitedly dived back into the pool, indulging in the cool, refreshing water that they had gone without for so long. 

It wasn't long until the sounds of familiar footsteps entered the cave. Emerging from the hallway was everyone's new favourite hero. 

Before Link even got a chance to speak, a hoard of Zoras charged over to him and cheered ecstatically. An elderly Zora stepped forwards and tightly grasped his hand. He accidentally shook it a little too violently; the boy was almost worried he was going to break his arm.  
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" The old man cried. "I can't believe you actually succeeded in defeating all of those horrid monsters! 

Link smiled bashfully and scratched the back of his head.  
"It's nothing, really."  
"It's nothing?!" Another one of them shrieked. "This is Incredible. We have never witnessed anything like this before! The King must be informed at once!" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"I must say, I am absolutely lost for words!" 

Once again, Zelda and Link stood before the Zora King. The large creature stared down at the boy in utter disbelief. "How did- How did you manage to do it, when my warriors didn't even stand a chance!"

He leaned in closer to get a better look at him.  
"You...you are not like any creature or demon I have ever seen before! You're incredible! Your looks certainly are deceiving."  
Link chucked awkwardly. 

The King gave him a sincere nod.  
"For selfless deeds, I am most certainly in your debt. If there is anything I can possibly do for you- anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask." 

Link looked over to Zelda, who looked back at him. The girl looked up at the King with her sad, pleading eyes. 

The creature pitifully stared at the girl for a moment, before letting out a sigh.  
"The kindness from both of you has really taught me a few things today." He began. "You have taught me to be more open-minded, especially when it comes to change." 

He turned to Zelda. "You know, you remind me of my daughters. They always know how to wear me down with their sad, pouty looks, and persuade me to do things I initially didn't want to do." 

The elder took a deep breath before starting. "Go on, I'll listen to what you have to say."  
Zelda bowed. "Thank you, your majesty." 

After reforming, she started explaining.  
"This land has a lot of work that needs to be done. The thousands of years it has been untouched has led to nature consuming it completely. We're in an age of ruin. If we're going to start our new lives here, we must begin to build on this untouched surface." 

The girl began pacing around as she spoke.  
"I propose that we work together, to start trading, and to become allies in general. Perhaps we both have things that each tribe needs!

At the moment, food is rather scarce where we come from, but you live by the sea where there's plenty of wildlife. Currently, we have no water supply to our town, either. Your tribe is constantly under threat by other monsters, and perhaps there's something us humans can do about that, so that we can ensure the safety of your people." 

Zelda paused for a moment. 

"My point is- is that, we'll be stronger together as one. Both tribes can support each other in their growth." 

The Zora King rubbed his chin. He stared at her thoughtfully.  
"I most certainly understand where you're coming from. Having to evacuate to this land has left us with the bare minimum, as you've seen. In a distant land, we were almost a strong empire at one point in time. We had everything: plentiful homes for our people, good trade, we used to have a trading system using pieces of gold, but the days of living in such a well-structured society are long gone."  
Zelda shrugged her shoulders.  
"Well, humans have a similar lifestyle, actually. Sure, we don't use gold, but we do trade with rupees!"  
The King raised an eyebrow. "Rupees?"  
Link pulled a single green rupee out of his leather pouch. He stepped closer to the giant Zora and handed it to him.  
The king held the tiny piece of green stone in between his thumb and his index finger. He had to squint in order to see it properly.  
"Wow...how interesting...Such beautiful jewels indeed." 

"Perhaps...we can introduce the currency of rupees to your kind, as well." Zelda suggested. "You can finally have businesses once again!" 

After a few more moments, the King handed the small green stone back to Link. "Alright, I approve of your ideas. I have decided that we shall become partners. Humans and Zoras shall work together as one."  
Zelda's face lit up with excitement.  
"Thank you! Thank you ever so much, your majesty! You won't regret this decision." 

After some talks about the next steps moving forwards, they all reckoned it was time to call it a day. Zelda arranged to have regular communication with them via loftwing, in order to talk about their plans, and hoped to be in contact with them again soon. 

For now, it was finally time to go home. All the Zoras cheerily bid them farewell as they walked back through the domain. Hikor gave the two a supportive pat on their shoulders, and from the upper floor, Eleta, Rela and Lena waved goodbye.  
"We hope to see you again soon, handsome hero!" Eleta called out with a wink. Zelda shot an evil glare at her, Link smiled awkwardly in order to just be polite. His friend slapped his arm.  
"Ow! I didn't do anything-" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

By the time the pair returned to the woods, the day was drawing to an end. Both of them feeling exhausted, they flopped down onto the tall grass, not really caring if the landing was soft or not. They stared up at the beautiful golden sky as they rested side-by-side on their backs. 

"I wonder how the others are doing back at home." Zelda broke the silence with. "Today was such a rollercoaster, I can't wait to tell them all about it."  
"The thought of Groose, Cawlin and Stritch being left alone down here kind of scares me, so I try not to think about how they're doing." Replied the other.  
Zelda elbowed his side while laughing.  
"Oh be quiet, I'm sure they're all fine." 

The girl noticed her friend flinch rather dramatically at her light touch. He squeezed his eyes shut and furrowed his eyebrows. He looked pained.  
"What's wrong?"  
Link managed to force a smile.  
"It's nothing, just a small wound." 

Zelda's eyes glanced down at where she hit him. His green tunic was damp with blood, and torn in multiple strips by what must've been a Lizalfos' claw.  
"Link!" She exclaimed. "That's not a small wound at all! You're bleeding and everything!"  
"It's no big deal." He said with a shrug. "I've had this loads of times before." 

The girl sat up. "Let me fix it."  
Link's face began burning up. He quickly sat up as well.  
"N-no it's fine, really I-"  
"It could get infected if you leave it!" She scolded. She reached to grip his tunic.  
The boy turned even redder. "J-just leave it-"  
"Please?" Zelda looked at him with a smile. "It'll only be a minute." 

Link's eyes awkwardly shifted away from hers. "...Okay." 

Zelda quickly went and grabbed some salt water, cotton, and some bandages from their bag. She knelt down beside her friend as he stood up, too awkward and shy to look at her.  
Him having already taken the belt off, the girl carefully raised the side of his tunic. 

It was an experience Link never wanted to go through again. It was just embarrassing for himself to be exposed like that, especially in front of her. Though, he felt like it was a bit irrational- it was only a wound on his waist. 

The girl looked down at the large scrape along his skin. A large, fairly deep claw mark went along his entire side. She winced at the sight of the split skin, and the smeared blood around it. The surrounding area was pink swelling, that looked incredibly tender to touch. 

She started dabbing the salt water on it with a cotton bud. Link hissed loudly at the agonising burning sensation.  
"This is still better than it getting infected." Zelda laughed slightly. The other glared down at her for a moment. 

Once the wound was clean, she began to bandage it up. While she was doing so, she happened to notice the scars and scabs that were dotted all over his skin. It made her think about everything he must've went through- Everything just to save her. 

A sinking feeling resided within her. She was never going to forgive herself for putting someone she cares about through so much.  
And here he was now: still fighting battles for her. 

"You know," she broke the long silence with. "You've always been there for me. You've always been there to pick me up when I fall, made sure I was okay, and looked after me."  
Link looked down at her as she continued.  
"You deserve to be looked after too. Even heroes need a little comfort and support sometimes." 

She took her time while wrapping the bandage around his waist, working so slowly and gently so she didn't hurt him. There was something she oddly liked about doing it. Maybe she couldn't offer him any physical protection like he can to her, but at least she can do little things like this to give him the love he deserves. 

Her friend looked down and ran his hand along the bandages, his face still red with embarrassment. "T-thank you." 

Once she stood up, she gently cupped her friend's cheeks. She looked down at all the scratches on his face. She could feel the scabs as she stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. 

Ever so gently, she planted a tender kiss on his left cheek, where a painful red cut stretched across from his temple to his nose.  
"What's that for?" Link asked quietly, as she pulled away.  
Zelda smiled. "That's for fighting the Lizalfos, just so I finally got the chance to talk to the Zora King." 

"And this,"  
The girl gripped onto his collar. Link blinked at her in surprise.  
"This is for just being the most caring, brave, and wonderful person I've ever met." 

Using his collar, she slowly pulled him closer, until his lips connected with her's. His eyes widened from how sudden and bold her actions were, but it wasn't long before his eyes fluttered shut, and he became lost in the moment as well. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

After having something quick to eat for dinner, and getting ready for bed, Zelda tucked her travelling clothes back into her bag. 

"Oh, yeah." She sighed in disappointment. "We lost a blanket from the raft earlier."  
Link rolled over and faced away from her, ready to go to sleep. He held his arms in an attempt to keep himself warm.  
"You can have it."  
His friend raised her eyebrows.  
"Link, you don't have to-"  
The boy looked over his shoulder for a moment and gave her a smile.  
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. You keep yourself warm."  
He turned back to face the other way.  
"Goodnight, Zelda." 

Zelda pouted as she stared at the blanket, and then back at her friend. 

Just as Link was falling asleep, he was awoken by the sudden sensation of soft fabric being pulled over his shoulder. He felt his friend's soft lips plant a kiss on his cheek, before hearing her roll over. 

The girl worried it was too awkward to lay so close to him, so she kept her distance, yet she still tried her best to share the blanket between them. Due to them being so far apart, the blanket barely draped over their shoulders. However, it was better than nothing, she thought. 

With his eyes still closed, Link held onto the edge of the blanket and enjoyed the small amount of warmth it had to offer. He spoke with a sleepy, mumbled voice.  
"Thank you." 

"It's okay." Zelda softly spoke. Her lips curled into a small smile. "Sleep well, Link."


	16. Development

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon Link and Zelda returning back to their new home from their adventure, lots of work needed to be done! 
> 
> Construction on the town begins, some confessions are made, and a particular little character makes a return!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I- 
> 
> I am so sorry for being gone SO LONG!!!! 
> 
> So basically, all of December has basically been hectic for me, but now with Christmas break being here, things are starting to calm down! Thank you for waiting so patiently for this update if you have! I've actually missed writing so much 🥺 
> 
> If I ever disappear for long periods of time and you wonder where I am, it's really a good idea to follow me on Instagram at @new.horizons_ss, where I can keep you updated on what's going on, as well as seeing additional content! 
> 
> This chapter is more of like a mixture of little thing, so sorry if it's a bit random 😅 
> 
> Thank you for waiting patiently, and I hope you enjoy! :))

Link and Zelda spent the next few days slowly making their way back "home". Not a single cloud sat in the bright blue sky above them, as they strolled through the tall grass, climbed giant rocks, and crossed rivers. Even the chilly evenings were still comfortable, courtesy of the single blanket they shared. As time progressed, they became more comfortable around each other, and the awkward space between them as they slept reduced. 

Zelda was relieved that she could finally wrap the blanket around her properly, but she even more so appreciated the feeling of the other's warmth against her. There was just something about his presence that made her feel safe, like everything would just be okay. It was a feeling she had wanted for so long. 

Link cherished every moment with her, for things may be different when they return back to the others. Busying themselves with reconstructing the ancient town and other affairs, it would certainly mean that their time alone together would be reduced. It didn't matter, as it only meant that their time left was even more special. Fingers intertwining, long, comforting hugs, and spontaneous kisses became all too familiar for the pair. It was moments like that that Link wished would never end. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

A small sigh of relief escaped Zelda's lips as the familiar looking stone ruins came into their view. Ribbons of smoke, presumably from a campfire, floated up into the beautiful evening sky. The serene atmosphere was wonderful, and the way the birds chirped and swooped around the town made the place feel all the more inviting after such a long rollercoaster of a journey. Finally, the pair could properly get some rest. 

Or so they thought. 

"WHERE HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN?!"   
Groose shrieked from the top of his lungs as he bombed down the stone path towards them. His big hands slammed down on Link's shoulders, and began shaking them violently. The hero let out a yelp, fearing that his neck was about to break.   
"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?! WE THOUGHT YA HAD DIED OR SOMETHIN'!" 

Groose was pushed aside by Karane, who emerged from behind him. There, also stood Pipit, Cawlin and Stritch.   
"Take it easy, big guy! They've only just got back here!"   
"We're really sorry we took much longer than anticipated!" Zelda replied, giving them all an apologetic look.   
"Well, all what matters is that you're home now." Pipit added, giving them a nod with his arms folded.   
"Come on, my mother was just about to dish up dinner. Her and everyone else will be so glad to know you're home." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Upon returning their belongings to their tents, and quickly freshening up, Link and Zelda met back up with the others around the cosy bonfire. Mallara cheerily dished out bowls of vegetable curry and rice, which filled the air with the sweet aroma of herbs and spices. The tanginess of the meal, as well as it being fresh from the bubbling pan, went down a treat after relying on whatever food the pair could scavenge along the way, or the boring ingredients in their bags. 

"So?" Pipit spoke up on behalf of everyone. They all leaned in closer, and stared at the pair eagerly.   
"How did your little journey go?" 

Zelda glanced up at the sky, trying to find where to even start.   
"Well... Getting to the sea took quite some time, but it was absolutely worth it! The scenery was incredible! The mountains...the valleys...the rivers- oh, except for when we were attacked by a hoard of mysterious-looking monsters and nearly plummeted to our death- but other than that, it was just wonderful!" 

The group frowned in confusion.   
"Monsters?"   
"Plummeting to your death?!" 

Zelda continued to tell them all about their encounter with the sea dwellers. She told them about what they looked like, their home land, the Zora King, even Link's journey to fight off the lizalfos in order to persuade the King, and so on. 

"Woah... I'm so jealous!" Cawlin gasped. "I wanna meet some creepy water dudes!"   
Zelda rolled her eyes. "That's not really nice of you to call them that, Cawlin."

Karane smiled.   
"Well anyway, It sounds like you two had a great time!" 

Memories of a particular night entered Zelda's mind. She remembered their gentle kiss under the light of the pink fluttering fairies. She remembered the rush of excitement she felt every time they held hands, and the wonderful feeling of his warmth around her. Her cheeks became rosy. 

Link also briefly reminisced about the last few days. He too thought about their first kiss, and all the others that followed. He couldn't believe that, after all these years, he finally got to do something he had never previously had the courage to do. 

Zelda accidentally glanced at her friend, only to find him looking back at her with the same bashful look. She could tell that they were both thinking the same thing. 

"Y-yeah!" The girl chuckled awkwardly.   
"It was a lot of fun! Wasn't it, Link?" 

The hero's eyes twinkled as he gazed at her. Even in the dim lighting, you could see his beaming red face from a mile away. He nodded and smiled.   
"Yeah." 

The pair's strange expressions didn't go unnoticed by the others, which immediately sparked their curiosity. Pipit leaned back into his seat with a smirk. 

Zelda cleared her throat, and decided to hastily change the subject.   
"So, how have you guys been? What have you been up to?" 

"Everything has been fine!" Chirped Karane. "Me and Pipit have been making sure everyone stayed safe, Mallara, Piper, and Giselle's new crops are starting to grow...Everything went as you probably expected, really." 

The couple slowly turned their heads to Cawlin, Stritch and Groose, giving them all a disappointed glare. "Except..." 

Zelda's eyes narrowed at a particular spot in the distance. Where she remembered a grand ancient stone wall standing, now was nothing but a pile of rubble and dust.   
"THOSE THREE-" Karane hissed, pointing her finger accusingly at the three boys. "May or may not have caused some property damage while you two were gone!"   
"Why, ya little snitch!" Groose yelled. 

The Goddess gasped in horror, and turned her attention to the trio.   
"We didn't mean to do it, I swear!" Cawlin cried defensively.   
"Yeah!" Groose added. "We were just playing bomb flower bowlin' and THIS IDIOT,"   
He gave Scritch a harsh shove. "Rolled the ball too far and it got too close to the town!" 

Zelda's furious eyes pierced right through them.   
"Boys! How dare you be so reckless and break such sacred infrastructure like that!"   
Scritch winced at her raised voice.   
"We're really sorry, Zelda! Really! We-"   
"I don't care! From now on, I won't allow you to mess around with those stupid bomb flowers!"  
"What?!" The red-head hollered. "Ya can't just make up stupid rules like that!"   
The girl gave him a stern look, as she folded her arms. "Yes I can, and I will! As the Goddess, and your leader, you will do as I say, and I say: NO MORE BOMB FLOWERS!" 

The three scoffed and rolled their eyes. They flopped back into their seats in defeat. 

Link stared at his friend, surprised by her sudden bold actions. He knew she was always the one to stand up to people, but he had never seen her so confidently put people in their place just like that. It was funny how she was so sweet, but could also be so damn scary. 

Feeling his eyes on her, Zelda's expression softened, and she gave him a playful smile. 

There was a moment of silence, before Groose spoke up once more.   
"Well, since we're clearly SUCH A DANGER to have around, I'm sure ya will be happy to know that me and the boys have got a little announcement to make." 

Everyone turned their attention back to the large boy, and mouthed an "oh?".   
"That's right! After givin' it some thought, we decided that we would return to the Knight's Academy for part time studyin'."   
"Oh, really?" Zelda replied, surprised. "Well that would be great for you!"   
"Well, we were thinkin' that, if we've got so many people livin' down here, it'd be better to have more security, wouldn't it?!"   
Groose gave her a big cheesy grin.   
"We can train to fight alongside Link, Pipit and Karane, to help protect Her Grace and her people!" 

"Maybe you'll also learn how to not be so stupid with explosives." Pipit muttered.   
"Oh, will ya shut up?!" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Even long after the adults had gone to bed, the teenagers sat there, chatting away as the large fire dwindled down. They planned out their big day tomorrow, where they would finally start renovating their destroyed town. Later on, Karane's big yawn and stretch indicated that it was getting late, and that they should try and get some rest. 

Link walked Zelda back to her tent. Unlike the others, they gently strolled back, having no reason to rush. They enjoyed the gentle ambience of evening crickets, and unidentified birds that hooted eerily. 

"This is kind of strange, now." Zelda spoke, breaking the silence.   
Link looked at her. "What do you mean?"  
"Well... recently, I haven't spent my nights alone, I've gotten used to your company."   
The boy smiled at her, understanding where she was coming from. Bidding her goodnight felt strange to him too. With her by his side, all of his worries washed away. It was going to be weird to spend so much time alone again. 

The two glanced out across the campsite. Some tents were glowing a warm amber, from the oil lamps inside them. People were still awake. 

Zelda gently took his hand, blushing slightly. "I... don't know if I'm ready to tell them yet. You know, about this."   
Link squeezed her hand.   
"That's okay, we only came back home today." 

The girl gently cupped his cheek with her hand, and gazed lovingly into his large, gentle eyes. The hero slowly stepped forwards, reducing the distance between them. They quickly looked around the area; they were alone. Link combed his fingers through her soft golden hair, as his eyes fell to her soft pink lips. He felt himself slowly move closer, the other the same. 

The two's faces were inches apart, when suddenly- 

"AHHHHH!" 

Out of fright and surprise, Zelda accidentally gave Link a harsh shove off of her. The boy stumbled back, creating more of a distance between them. 

"OW! OW! OW! THERE'S A HORNET IN MY TENT!"   
Groose came bolting out of his tent, along with the sound of violent buzzing and stinging. The pair's irritation quickly turned into amusement, as they watched the boy run in circles, flinging his arms about like a mad man. In response, another one of the tent doors flew open, and there appeared an angry, sleepy Karane.   
"HEY! CAN YOU SHUT UP? I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" 

Seeing there was no chance they were going to get any privacy, Zelda turned back to her friend. She gave him a warm smile.   
"Goodnight, Link. If you need anything..." 

The boy assumed she was talking about what happened several nights ago.   
"I'm always here."   
Link smiled back at her. He loved how thoughtful she always was.  
"Sleep well, Zelda." 

With a final bashful grin, the girl went inside, leaving Link to walk over to a very troubled Groose. 

By this point, the hornet had left, leaving the boy exhausted on the floor. He groaned in pain from the onslaught of hornet stings; his breaths were staggered.   
"Well, thanks for helpin' me out back there, NOT!" He hissed. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

By the following morning, the plans of building their new settlement were in full swing. Like hard-working ants, everyone worked through the strenuous tasks of erecting walls and fixing the ancient, abandoned town. Even people who were still living in Skyloft, such as workers in the Bazaar, came to offer a hand. To everyone's surprise, Gaepora unexpectedly visited, and made quite the entrance as he landed with his much older, larger, navy blue loftwing a little bit later on in the day. 

"Father!" Zelda cried out happily as she ran towards him. "What a nice surprise!"   
The elder opened his big arms and gave his daughter a tight squeeze.  
"My lovely Zelda! It's so nice to see you again! Are you keeping well?"   
"Of course!" The girl chirped. "Everyone is! We're all working so hard today."   
The father chuckled. "So I can see. Well, we've been making our own preparations while we've still been up there." 

Gaepora stepped aside, revealing Gondo who excitedly skipped forwards.   
"I'm happy to say that I have something else for you!" The mechanic said with a big smile. "Or should I say, SOMEONE else for you!"

Gondo looked up and whistled to the sky, which was responded to by the familiar sound of small propellers. He looked at the pair again and smiled. "Alright, I'll leave you guys to it!" 

Emerging from the clouds was Scrapper, once again. Zelda had not seen the flying robot in action before, so she stood there, mouth agape, staring in amazement.   
Link let out a sigh. Although he knew that Scrapper was going to have an important role in the building process, he just couldn't seem to mentally prepare himself for the next few weeks of him he was going to have to endure. 

Scrapper's eyes widened as they landed on the boy.   
"You again?!"   
The hero narrowed his eyes.   
"I'm being of service to you again, Bzzzzzt?! Haven't I done enough chores for you, vrrrrt, kid?!"   
Link crossed his arms and scrunched his nose.   
"This isn't just for me, this is for everyone. I was left to give orders because I know you." 

Scrapper turned to the girl, and his tone of voice drastically changed from being obnoxious to overly friendly.   
"Zelda! My apologies, bzzzt, I haven't said hello yet! How are you doing?"  
"I'm fine, thank you!" She politely responded with a smile from ear to ear. 

"See, Zelda's much nicer than you, vrrrpt! I'd prefer it if she was my boss." The annoying robot said as he turned back to Link. The boy closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying really hard to not let his frustration show.   
"Just... Go. And. Collect the bricks."   
"Fine, I will do, zzzzzrt. But only because this is for our Lovely Leader Zelda! Vrrrrrt, see you around, Master Shortpants!" 

Link glared up at him as he flew away, and felt his face suddenly beam a bright red. Yeah it was an embarrassing nickname anyway, but did he really have to say it in front of HER? 

To his dread, Zelda couldn't help but let out a giggle.   
"Uh...'Master Shortpants'?"   
The boy rolled his eyes and looked away from her. "He seems to just treat me like I'm a kid, and makes jokes about how small I am. Heck, he's just a 2 foot tall robot himself! I don't know why he doesn't like me." 

Zelda shrugged her shoulders and laughed. "Well unfortunately, he's sticking around for a while, so I guess you two will just have to figure out a way to get along."   
Link rolled his eyes at her. "I would rather break my spine trying to carry all those stone blocks myself than let him help me." 

His friend playfully hit him in the chest.   
"Go on, 'Master Shortpants', I'm sure he's waiting for you!"   
"Ugh, please don't call me that." Whined the boy, feeling his face going even redder than before. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, weird kid, vrrrt. Tell me where you want these bricks to go."   
Link glared at the other.   
"Send that pile over to Groose." 

The biggest challenge of the first day of construction wasn't actually the construction itself, but rather the task of tolerating Scrapper. Throughout most of the day, Link didn't know if he wanted to scream, cry, hit something or all of the above. There were only so many hours he could take of the sarcastic, rude comments before his patience wore thin. 

"While trying to de-stress, Link sat atop of one of the walls, watching Groose, Cawlin and Stritch rebuild the one they previously obliterated with the bomb flower. The red haired boy could see Link was furious.   
"Damn, that little guy sure is a handful." Groose said.  
"Tell me about it." The hero mumbled.  
"Maybe if ya didn't sleep in all the time and skip breakfast, ya would be big and strong like ol' Groose! Then, he would have nothin' to say about ya." 

Link narrowed his eyes at the other. But, before he could say anything in response, he heard the sounds of Scrapper's propellers heading straight towards him.   
"HEY! VRRRRRM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?! GET OUT OF THE WAY! BZZZRT!" 

Before Link could react, Scrapper accidentally bumped into him while he was carrying a heavy pile of bricks.   
"HEY! BZZZT! WATCH IT!"   
They both realised it was too late . Due to the sudden, harsh bump, Link was knocked off of the wall, and the large pile of bricks slipped from Scrapper's grasp, which began plummeting to the ground below. The air was filled with the thunderous sound of tonnes of stone colliding with the ground. The large bricks shattered into millions of pieces, and debris went flying everywhere. 

Link snapped his head round and gasped in shock. The area fell silent. Everyone nearby had also froze, and stared in horror at the severe damage. 

"Look at what you have done! Vrrrpt!" Scrapper yelled out. "Not only are you just some stupid kid, bzzzt, you're also blind! This is your fault, zzzzzrt!"   
"You're the one who bumped into me!" Link argued.   
"You should've gotten out of my way! Considering my job is far more important than yours, zrrrrrpt!"   
The hero felt his blood begin to boil. He dug his nails into his palms. 

Scrapper flew over to the mountain of rubble and began scooping it with his large hands.   
"I don't know why our lovely Zelda likes a goof like you so much-" 

It wasn't until the last part that Link felt something inside of him suddenly snap. He didn't feel like he could hold back anymore. 

"Will you just STOP THAT?!" 

The surrounding workers were speechless. They had never heard the quiet boy yell like that. Usually, Link would do anything to not have so much attention on him, but at that moment, he just couldn't care less.   
"I don't understand why you dislike me so much! I've never done anything to you- heck! I even helped Gondo bring you back to life! But for some reason, all you ever do is treat me like I'm some stupid kid!"   
"I've spent years being a worker for tiny, weak little humans like you, vrrrt!"   
Scrapper flew forwards, and shoved the boy with his large hand. "I don't, zzzzzrt, understand why you think you're so special!" 

Link let out a growl. He wasn't thinking straight at that moment, and all he could think about is stopping those annoying little propellers of his. He picked up a large chunk of debris and readied it in his hand. 

"Boys! Stop!" 

The robot and the boy suddenly paused. In front of them was Zelda, slowing down from presumably running to the scene. She sent them both a scolding glare, and firmly placed her hands on her hips.   
"Link, can I speak with you for a minute?!" 

The boy let out a frustrated sigh, and dropped the piece of stone. He sent one last evil look to the robot, before doing his walk of shame towards her. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Please, Link." Zelda begged in a nagging, motherly tone. "You can't keep arguing with him! We need him in order to work more efficiently!"   
"But he's just so difficult to work with!" The boy argued. "You know I don't usually have outbursts like that! He's just- ah! He's just so rude and frustrating!"   
"I'll go and talk to him, then!" Zelda replied. "As a member of our team, he needs to be more kind and considerate of others."   
The girl went to step forwards, but the other quickly stopped her.   
"N-no! You don't need to do that. I'm not a child."   
Zelda crossed her arms and chuckled.   
"Well, considering you were fighting with a robot of all things, anyone would think you are one."   
Link let out an irritated huff as he rolled his eyes. His cheeks blushed a faint red. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

As the moon soared high into the sky, everyone had stopped their hard work and had called it a day. Everyone was enjoying a later dinner than usual around the fire. The remaining Skyloftians returned to the skies above earlier that day, and spoke of returning tomorrow to help out once again. 

Zelda spent the evening in one of the old buildings, doing something unknown to everyone. Link, growing curious as to where she was, and what she was doing, decided to look for her and make sure she was alright. He came to a nearly restored building that was dimly illuminated by a single oil lamp. As he approached, he could hear Zelda and Karane's voices. Being a little nosey, he listened in on what they were talking about.   
"I think it looks amazing! He'll love it for sure!" He heard Karane say.   
"I hope so." The other girl responded. 

All of a sudden, Karane got up to leave the building, and was met with the boy standing outside.   
"L-Link?! You didn't hear any of our conversation did you?!" She said in a panicked tone. 

The boy's eyes widened, but he quickly calmed his expression. He thought it was best to just lie.   
"N-no! I just came to see how Zelda was doing, since she's been gone for quite a while." 

Karane let out a sigh of relief; her posture relaxed.   
"Oh...okay. Well, don't go in there!"   
Link raised an eyebrow at her. 

Zelda's voice suddenly intervened.   
"No, it's okay! He can come in, it's done now."   
Karane politely dismissed herself before walking off to leave the two alone. The boy hesitantly stepped into the building. 

Zelda sat at a desk where the oil lamp was perched. She was holding something under the table. Her head spun round, and she had an excited look in her eyes. Her lips curled into a smile.   
"Link! I have something for you! Close your eyes!"

The hero was confused, but obliged anyway. He came closer and stood beside the desk. While his eyes were closed, he could hear his friend stand up from the wooden chair she sat on.   
"Tah-Dah!" She announced cheerily. 

He opened his eyes, and couldn't help but gasp in amazement. She was holding out his sailcloth she had made him all that time ago. What was once a brown, ripped, fraying bundle of fabric, was now the perfect, pure white sailcloth it was before.   
"I tried to scrub out the stains as best as I could, and then bleached it to make it white again. I patched and stitched up the holes in it, and embroidered the loftwing symbol again in a similar blue thread. It's not exactly the same as it was, but I hope you like it!" 

Her eyes sparkled as she held out the cloth for him to take. He could see how proud of it she was. The boy gently took it from her to admire himself. He gently traced his fingers along the soft white fabric once again. He could feel how much love and care was put into every stitch. The fabric gave off a sweet, flowery aroma. Her aroma. The same aroma that always made him feel less alone on his journey.

He remembered how much it sometimes hurt to keep going on, but the sailcloth was a constant reminder of why he was doing what he was doing, and that the reward of it all was this. It always gave him hope that he would bring her home. 

And there she stood now. She was safe. They were happy. 

He couldn't be any happier. 

"Zelda..."  
He continued to admire the soft cotton, almost in an attempt to hide his eyes away from her, which were reddening.   
"I love it. This means so much to me. It looks incredible. Thank you." 

The girl's cheeks glowed as she smiled.   
"A hero always needs his sailcloth."   
She slowly stepped closer, gazing into his eyes lovingly. Without really thinking about it, Link slipped his arm around her waist. He liked how perfectly she fit. 

Just like the ethereal person she was, the golden glow from the oil lantern accentuated her otherworldly beauty. The specs of gold in her eyes from the lighting complimented the wonderful pools of blue. 

The boy leaned forwards, until his lips met with her's. Zelda pulled him closer by his collar, deepening the kiss. It felt as though they had stopped time. Nothing felt real anymore. They didn't know how long they had kissed for, but it felt like they could have continued for a lifetime. 

When the two finally snapped back to reality, they slowly pulled away, and admired each other's blushing faces. Link parted his lips as if to say something, for there was something on his mind. 

She was just so perfect. The way she understood him, the way she was so wonderful to always be around, how beautiful she is, and more importantly, how beautiful her soul is- all of her was just perfect. Even if he searched to the ends of the universe, he still would never find anyone as incredible as her. 

He wanted to say something, but his mind stopped him. 

"What is it?" His friend asked, tilting her head.   
Link grew anxious, and shook his head.   
"N-no.. it's nothing."   
"No! Go on! What was it that you were going to say?"   
She could see he was scared of something, with the way his worried eyes stared at her, and his hands began to tremble.   
"Hm?" She prompted him again, but he was still reluctant. His eyes left her's.   
"I-It's not important. Really-"   
Zelda stared at him with hopeful, sparkling eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile.   
"Please? I want to know." 

Link chewed his inner lip, and took in a deep breath.   
"I-I was just thinking about how you're the most caring, fun, amazing, and beautiful person I've ever met, and that I..."   
He suddenly mustered up the courage to look at her, even though he didn't want to.   
"And that I-I love you." 

Zelda suddenly stopped breathing. Her mouth gaped open, and her eyes widened in surprise. She felt like she was dreaming, and blinked several times in order to comprehend what he had just said. 

Seeing her prolonged silence, the boy assumed the worst. His eyes fell back to the floor, feeling ashamed.   
"I'm sorry." 

Quickly, the other snapped out of it.   
"No! Stop that! I was just surprised is all." 

Cupping his cheek, she forced him to look back at her. "You're so silly, sometimes."   
Her friend blinked at her, confused. Zelda continued.   
"You... You've always been there for me, all the way back to day one. You've always been the one I've cared about more than anyone else. You're someone I truly believe I couldn't live without, and that's not just because of a fight against evil." 

The girl grabbed both of his hands.  
"Don't you see? Fate is at work here. Our childhood friendship...our adventure, everything that we've been through together up until now- it shows that we were destined to be together." 

After a deep inhale, she continued.   
"So... The response that you've been looking for is: I love you too, Link. More than anything." 

The hero let out a sigh of relief, and couldn't help but smile like an idiot. The other was the same. She leaned forwards to kiss him once again. Link pulled her in closer, never wanting to let her go. 

Too busy being lost in their own little world, the pair failed to hear the sounds of Cawlin nearby. 

"Hey, you guys! Mallara got me to come tell you that your dinner will get col-"   
The short boy froze mid-sentence, and stood outside of the doorway to the small building. His jaw dropped.


	17. Embarrassment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Cawlin walks in on the pair, he can't help but share the gossip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! I'm.so.sorry for such a late upload!! Tbh I had a MASSIVE load of writer's block writing this, but we here now. Thank you for.waiting patiently if you have, and I hope you.enjoy! 
> 
> For story-related drawings, Zelda art , and idk just other random shit, head over to @new.horizons_ss on Instagram! 
> 
> Thank you! 💞😊

"I swear, you guys! I was just walking past, and then I saw them kissing!" 

Since Link and Zelda hadn't awoken yet, Cawlin just HAD to tell the others about the things he witnessed the night before. Everyone leaned in closer, eager to hear the juicy gossip. 

"Hah! I still can't believe it!" Stritch snorted. "That boy has been in love with her since day one, but he never actually had the guts to tell her."  
Pipit added to the conversation.   
"Well, I did feel like there was something kind of...different about those two, when they returned."   
Karane crossed her arms and frowned.  
"I'm a little offended that Zelda wouldn't tell me anything about it!"   
Groose rolled his eyes. He found the conversation to be overkill. And maybe... Not the kind of conversation he of all people wanted to be involved in. 

"Quick! Shut up! They're coming now!" Cawlin hissed. "Let's stop talking about it so that we make it less obvious-" 

Before he could finish, everyone's heads snapped round in unison, and stared at Link and Zelda as they approached.   
The pair looked at them, confused, but even more creeped out by their wide, excited eyes.   
Cawlin facepalmed. 

"Uh... Is everything alright, you guys?" Zelda asked, raising an eyebrow.   
"O-of course! Why wouldn't it be?!" Cawlin stuttered. He gritted his teeth and glared at the others, hoping they would get the message. "Right, guys?!" 

The group enthusiastically reassured the pair, and greeted them with over-friendliness. The two stared back, blinking in confusion, before shrugging their strange behaviour off and starting breakfast. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Soon, everyone was working diligently on the construction of their new homes. The group often rotated their chores, and today the women were given the task of tree cutting, while the men were piling bricks and concrete. 

The teenage boys grouped together to work on each house. Just like any usual team effort the boys ever did together, of course it was Link who did more work than anyone. He often found his mind wandering as he worked, replaying memories of the night before. As much as he tried to hide it, the excitement of it all made him smile like an idiot. 

His smile didn't go unnoticed by the other boys, who exchanged playful smirks and walked over to him. Pipit rested his elbow on the stone wall he stood beside.   
"Thinking about Zelda again, are we?" 

Link suddenly froze. His eyes widened.  
"W-what?! N-no!" He snapped, his stuttering giving away his already obvious lie. 

Cawlin and Stritch snickered.   
"Oh really? Then what ARE you thinking about?"   
All the blood in his body began rushing to his face. He had to think of an answer, and fast.   
"I- uh... I was thinking about some...childhood memory!" 

Cawlin snorted. "PFFFT, I beg to differ. I bet you're thinking about something like 'Oooh, Zelda. You're the love of my life will you marry me~?"   
The two best friends began to pull ugly kissey faces. Pipit chuckled loudly at the two. Link shivered with disgust, feeling the bile rise in his throat at the sight of them. He glared at the three, before they were all interrupted by the sudden appearance of the girls. Suddenly, the three boys stopped laughing. 

"I heard my name?" Zelda spoke out, confused.   
"Don't ask." A very obviously stressed and embarrassed Link replied with. 

As everyone was going for a drink break, Link walked alongside Zelda. Due to the construction, the walk back to the town centre was muddy, and therefore slippery. He noticed his friend skidded a couple times, so he instinctively grabbed her hand to support her.   
The two both looked down and their interlocked hands in shock, suddenly remembering that nobody yet knew about their relationship. 

Just as Link went to quickly pull his hand away, he felt a strong force push him towards her. Having no stability on the mud, he slipped, and knocked her over as well.   
"AH!" She shrieked in surprise.   
Link landed on top of her, luckily able to stop his fall with his hands. He stared at her wide-eyed; her the same. Both their faces beamed red with embarrassment. 

The boys were booming with laughter as they carried on walking. Link looked up at them, being sure to give them a furious glare. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Soooo Zelda, it's been quite some time since we talked like this!" 

Zelda noticed that Karane was much more bubbly than usual. She had been acting strange all day, in fact. 

"Well...me and Pipit had the most romantic date by the Sealed Temple the other night. There's just something so peaceful about laying in the tall grass staring up at the billions of stars in the sky."  
Zelda's lips curled into a smile. She thought about her recent journey with Link. "Yeah." 

Karane noticed her smile. Zelda quickly looked at her, suddenly realising that she had slipped up. Now that the time was convenient, the red-head smiled eagerly. "What about you? Anything exciting happen to you recently?" 

The other chuckled nervously and looked away. "Oh, no. Nothing happened really."   
"Seriously?! You went on a whole adventure and you have nothing to tell me?!"   
Zelda swallowed nervously. "N-nope. Nothing that you don't already know, just like the others." 

The Goddess started to busy herself with work once again, hoping Karane would just drop the conversation.   
"Are you sure?"   
"Yes, Karane. I'm sure."   
"Are you sure you're sure?" 

Zelda started to get irritated with the other.   
"Really Karane! Nothing is going on! Why do you keep asking?!"   
The girl giggled and looked at her nails.   
"Oh, no reason." 

And with that, the girl went back to her axe. Zelda stared at her in confusion, and worry. Did she...know something? 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Zelda sat alone on the grass, away from her friends. Although the warm sun on her back was relaxing, it couldn't stop her furious eyes from burning into the grass at her feet. 

After several moments, she heart someone sit down next to her.   
"Everyone's been swarming around Piper's apple tarts like locusts." Link spoke up. "So I thought I would get these before they all disappeared."   
In his hands were two golden, crumbly pastries, carefully wrapped in napkins. He handed one of them to the girl, who just continued to silently stare at the floor. 

Link tilted his head.   
"What's wrong?"   
Zelda's gaze shifted up to where the other teenagers were sitting.   
"It's them!" She hissed. "They've been acting strange all day today!"   
"How so?" Asked the other.   
"Ugh, I don't know, the girls kept making jokes about us, and being...odd. Especially Karane."   
The hero let out a sigh. "Yeah, the boys were being weird with me too. I don't know why." 

Reassuring his friend, and telling her not to worry about it, he offered her the pastry once again. With a polite smile, she accepted it, but as she was just about to take a bite, she caught sight of the group of friends staring at them once again, whispering amongst themselves. 

"UGH!" 

Zelda's sudden yell caused the boy to nearly drop his snack. He looked at her in surprise as she promptly stood up.   
"They've all been staring and whispering about us all day! I'm sick of it! I'm going over there to ask why!" 

"What did I say about being subtle!" Karane hissed at the group. 

Zelda quickly came over, followed by Link.  
"It's rude to stare and talk about people, you know!" The blonde girl started.   
"Don't think we haven't noticed you doing it like, all day! I want to know why you're all being so strange with us!" 

Everyone in the group stared at each other, mouths agape, having no idea how to respond. Zelda crossed her arms and glared at them even more angrily. "Well?" 

She was met with many "uhm"s and "uhh"s. Karane was the only one who gave somewhat of a proper answer.   
"We...weren't saying anything bad about you!"  
The Goddess leaned in closer.   
"Oh really? Then what were you saying?"

They all gave each other panicked looks once again.   
"I-It's Cawlin's fault!" Stritch slipped out. "WHAT?!" Cawlin screeched. "It's not my fault I walked in on them kissing-"   
His eyes widened. He smacked his mouth. He just knew that he messed up by saying that out loud. 

Zelda's jaw dropped, and her face went as red as a tomato.   
"You...WHAT?!"   
"I-I didn't mean to!" The small boy cried. "I was told by Mallara to call you for dinner and then...yeah."   
Link swallowed and looked away. He couldn't bear to even look at them. The cringe he felt made it physically painful to even exist at that moment. 

Karane tried her best to ease the situation.  
"We were just surprised is all!"  
"Yeah!" Stritch added.   
"Especially since we always thought Link would never actually- OW!"  
The red haired girl elbowed the boy, and hissed for him to shut up. 

A horrible silence filled the air. Stritch knew that he had badly messed up.   
Link felt his pride crumble in seconds. Staring at the ground, he hoped that it would open up and swallow him. He had never felt more embarrassed in his life. He couldn't even look at Zelda at that moment, who stared at him with a pitiful expression. 

"We're really sorry." Pipit said.   
Zelda let out a long sigh.   
"It's okay, I suppose. We... Didn't feel comfortable telling you so soon, but I guess that doesn't matter now, since you found out anyway." 

Everyone looked at her, guilty looks on their faces. Zelda soon continued her angry scolding.   
"But really, you guys?! It's no big deal! I don't know why you all care so much!" 

"I agree." Groose added. For obvious reasons, he didn't like to participate in gossiping about the new couple, so finding a way to end the conversation was good for him. "I mean, we all saw Pitpit and Karane down by the stream that night." 

In unison, the named couple's jaws dropped. "WHAT?!" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Unfortunately, due to the noisy group, rumours spread like wildfire. Many of the older residents had no real input, other than typical comments such as "that's so sweet!" and "I'm happy for them!".

But then, the word reached the ears of Gaepora. 

"Zelda, my dear, could I have a word with you for a moment?" 

As the group of girls were working, the elder came over and interrupted them. Zelda put down her saw, and greeted him with a bright smile.   
"Of course, father! What is it?" 

Gaepora led his daughter to a small space away from everyone else. The further they walked, the more Zelda grew anxious. For them to need so much privacy, whatever he wanted to talk about couldn't be good. She remembered the last time they had a talk like this, which is the evening that changed everything. 

The old man stared out to the beautiful greenery in front of him, avoiding his daughter's curious eyes. Just like before, he looked uneasy- like he had something to say, but couldn't put his feelings into words. 

Eventually, he slowly began to break the silence.   
"...I knew that one day I would have to talk to you about this, and it seems that now is the time to." 

The other's vague answer left Zelda completely unsure of what he meant.   
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. If it's about my current task at hand, don't worry! Everything is going perfectly fi-" 

"No, no, Zelda." Gaepora said with a shake of his head. "This isn't about that."   
The girl frowned in confusion.   
"Then...what is it about?"   
The man took in a deep breath.   
"My darling, I know that you've always really cared about Link." 

Immediately, Zelda's expression fell. Her heart stopped.   
"He knows, too?!" She thought.   
The girl buried her face in her hands, trying not to die of embarrassment.   
"Oh no, father. Not this."  
"I heard about you and Link's new...'companionship'."   
Zelda physically cringed at his words.   
"...I suppose that it's time for me to accept that my little girl isn't a little girl anymore. I mean, look at you!"   
Gaepora placed his hand on her cheek.   
"You're a young woman now. You're down here, creating and leading a civilization, and I couldn't be prouder. And now, you're at the age that you will be getting into relationships, and I just want the best for you."  
His daughter stared at him, hoping that his soppy rant would be over soon.   
"T-thank you..."   
"I just want to ensure that you happy, but more importantly safe. Link is a kind young man, so I have no reason to suspect that he would ever do anything different, but makes sure always treats you well!"   
Zelda swallowed. "Yes, father." 

Gaepora's expression hardened. His serious eyes stared down at her as he folded his arms. The tones of his voice were low.  
"And if he ever did ANYTHING, you come and tell me, alright?"   
"Oh come on, father!" Nervously chuckled the girl. "I highly doubt it he would do anything like that, ever."   
The father smirked. "I don't think so either, but I'm just looking out for you, as any father would." 

There was a brief silence, to which Zelda began to feel hope that perhaps this conversation was drawing to a close.   
"Oh, and, one last thing." Gaepora started.   
"Even if your friends try to make you think otherwise, no funny business before marriage!" 

"FATHER! YES, YES, I GET IT!" shrieked the other, all the blood in her body rushing to her face. "NOW CAN WE END THIS CONVERSATION?!" 

The two returned to the group of girls, and the father bid farewell. Karane chuckled at Zelda's embarrassed expression, and the way she rubbed her temples.   
"Looks like you've been given 'the talk'." The red-head observed.   
"Don't even start." Muttered the other. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Brick laying was never really one of Link's interests, but there was something actually kind of relaxing about it. He didn't think he was too bad at it either, especially when he compared his work to some of Cawlin and Stritch's creations. He liked that he could just zone while he worked, and get lost in his thoughts. That was, until a large shadow cast over him, forcing him to snap back to reality. 

Looking up, he saw that Gaepora was standing there, his small eyes staring down at him. He stood with his hands behind his back, and his chest puffed out, just like how he would begin to scold a student in the past. Understanding his strange behaviour, Link quickly got to his feet. The sudden anxiety made all his words slip from his mind, leaving him to stand there, anticipating what the elder would say.   
His voice was deep and ominous, and he narrowed his eyes as he spoke.   
"I heard the news about you and my daughter." 

The boy's eyes widened. His heart was in his throat. All of the blood from his face vanished. He could feel his chest tighten from the sudden internal panic. He tried to form any kind of response, but all that he could manage to get out was a panicky, stuttered mess.   
"I-I-I Uh-" 

Gaepora watched the bundle of nerves in front of him. The small boy looked like a deer in front of a torchlight. His hands were shaky, his knees were weak. The elder couldn't help but quietly chuckle at the sight of him.   
"You're a funny one, lad. You can relax a bit!" 

Link let his shoulders loosen, and exhaled the breath he was accidentally holding on to. He continued to stare at him with large, worried eyes. 

"I think you're good enough for Zelda, considering your history together. You've always supported her, and it's always shown that you've both cared a lot about each other."   
Gaepora briefly paused, before taking in a breath and speaking up.   
"I approve of your little innocent relationship" 

The large man leaned forwards, invading Link's space. His glaring eyes pierced through the boys soul.  
"But should it ever become anything more than that, if you ever dare to lay a finger on her-" 

Link flinched.   
"N-no, sir! I c-couldn't ever do anything like that!" 

Seeing him tremble in fear, Gaepora straightened his posture. His expression softened.   
"Good. I wouldn't expect anything different from you, Link. "   
The elder firmly placed his large hand on the hero's shoulder.   
"You take good care of her."   
Link nodded.  
"Y-yes, sir." 

Gaepora soon dismissed himself, and went off to run his other errands around the town. Link watched him walk off into the distance, still trying to recover from that fright. 

Once he was far enough, Link could hear the other boys behind him snort with laughter.   
"AHAHAHA! YA SHOULD'VE SEEN THE LOOK ON YOUR FACE!" Groose hollered.   
Mockingly, Cawlin and Stritch mimicked the boy, pretending to cower in fear and shake their knees.   
Pipit crossed his arms and chuckled.  
"You better not upset him, now. I'd fear for your life if you did." 

Link gave them all a glare. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Link rested his elbows on one of the walls that looked out across the developing town. Homes were really starting to take form, and he knew it wouldn't be long until they could add the finishing touches such as roofing and windows. The sunset's golden rays highlighted every beautiful detail of the stone infrastructure, giving it a warm amber glow. The orange bonfire began to burn even brighter, as the red evening sky slowly faded into night.

For a while, Link just enjoyed the warm breeze on his skin, and the relaxing sounds of wildlife coming from the nearby forest. He stayed there, lost in thought, until he heard the sounds of quiet footsteps behind him. 

Coming up from behind him, Groose joined the smaller boy in admiring the view.   
"Ya know, It's crazy how things have changed in such a short period of time. Feels like years ago since we first landed down here."   
Link laughed for a moment.   
"I think I still have a bruise from that, it definitely wasn't that long ago."   
"Oh, shut up." 

The two boys saw Zelda in the distance, taking notes in her journal, and conversing with the other villagers. She rested her quill on her chin as she thought deeply. 

It didn't take long before the girl caught the pair looking her way. Turning to face them, she gave them both a big smile and a wave. Groose couldn't help but notice the way her eyes sparkled as she looked at Link- the way her smile could light up the sky brighter than a billion stars. But as her gaze shifted to the other, just as he expected, the passion and love quickly faded from her eyes. Her beaming smile toned down to a small grin, and her eyes lost that beautiful shimmer that he liked to see so much. 

The large boy forced a small smile in return. He watched Zelda turn around and carry on with her work, before his eyes slowly fell to his hands. He cleared his throat.   
"So, uh, ya finally did it, eh?"   
Link looked at the other.   
"What do you mean?"   
"Oh, don't be stupid." Groose muttered, rolling his eyes. "Ya finally confessed to her, didn't ya?!" 

The hero could feel the tension in the atmosphere. He could see that, behind Groose's facade of confidence and egoism, he was hurt. He dreaded ever having to have this conversation with him, since he just didn't know what to expect. 

Link awkwardly chuckled at the boy, while scratching the back of his head. "Haha, yeah..."   
"...When did ya do it?"   
"While we were out exploring. She... told me she liked me."   
The red-head smirked mockingly.   
"Wow, so even after everything ya've been through, ya still didn't make the first move."   
Link furrowed his eyebrows, slightly offended by the small joke."   
"You know I didn't want to confess to her." 

Groose looked down at the small boy. His eyes were dull and cold. His mouth was small. Link could see the hurt in his eyes, which made him feel a twinge of guilt inside. He wanted to say something in order to help ease the situation, but just couldn't find the right words. 

Before he could break the painful silence, the large boy hastily turned his back to him, and folded his arms.   
"... I don't see why not." He mumbled. "It was obvious that ya two were meant to be together."   
Groose let out a sigh.   
"It's- it's just that I wouldn't let myself believe it."   
Link's lips parted slightly, shocked that his friend had actually said that. He stared at him in disbelief.   
"I mean- I hate to admit it. But look at what ya've achieved together!"   
The large boy looked over his shoulder slightly.   
"Just… promise me one thing."   
He turned back to face Link. He had a serious look in his eyes.  
"Promise me ya will always look after her."   
The hero returned the look, before nodding.   
"Of course I will." 

The pair returned to looking out across the land. It was near enough night time now, which welcomed the sounds of hooting owls in the distance.   
"I don't usually do well with this kinda mushy stuff," Groose started. "But I'll say it once because I'm actually feelin' rather nice at the moment. So be grateful!"   
The boy took a deep breath in.   
"I'm sorry for being a jerk all these years." 

The hero blinked at the other. He didn't hold any grudges against Groose. He already forgave him in his own way. He knew that he wasn't really the kind to be outward with his feelings like that, but he knew he was already sorry. Admittedly, it still felt kind of nice to hear him say it anyway. 

"...It's okay." Link slowly replied. "You don't need to apologize."   
Groose raised an eyebrow at his friend.   
"I don't?"   
"No. I forgive you. You're not a jerk, Groose. Because if you were, you wouldn't have helped me like you did."   
Link looked at the large crowds of people cheerily sitting by the fire.   
"If it weren't for your efforts too, we wouldn't have all this." 

"So...does that mean...we're all good?" Asked the red-head.   
Link gave him a small smile.   
"Yeah. We're all good."


	18. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life isn't always sunshine and rainbows, and sometimes we're reminded of things we didn't want to be reminded of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: BLOOD AND MINOR INJURY DESCRIPTION 
> 
> There isn't an excessive amount of gore, but some of the language COULD be interpreted in different ways and so I wanted to just put that out there :)) 
> 
> In light of A SS HD BEING ANNOUNCED LAST NIGHT I wanted to get this chapter done to low-key celebrate!!!
> 
> I don't think I'm that great at writing angst but I hope you enjoy anyway! I want my story to have a real rollercoaster of emotions hhh
> 
> Here's your reminder once again to follow me on Instagram at @new.horizons_ss !! To see more of me, my art, shit posts, the story, etc. 
> 
> I hope you like this!

Months had passed since the villagers began restoring the town to it's former glory. The architecture was a beautiful combination of the intricate ancient stone designs, and the more rustic Skyloftian ones. Stained glass windows that craftsmen such as Gondo built added splashes of colour to the exteriors. The ruby red glass gave off a rosy glow in the bright sunlight.

Everyone had their own little house, that was filled with new furniture, and cosy handmade wooden beds- something that they had missed for a long time. The vast crater near the town centre had been filled in, and on top of it, they built a vast town hall, decorated with arches and staircases. The new creation was a sacred building that honoured their ancestors, and more importantly, the Goddess herself. Given that Zelda is destined to lead the people of this new land, everyone decided that her home should be within the walls of such a special place. 

Despite the town's rapid development, the villagers still lacked running water. The old waterflow infrastructure was still terribly damaged, and the old lake it led to all those years ago had dried up with time. So, for now, frequent trips to a nearby river with pails and bowls was a necessity. 

One morning, Link, as well as a few others, was tasked with fetching pails of water for the day. As he walked back with a bucket in each hand, he kept his eyes on the dirt path ahead of him, lost in thought. He thought about how everything was just right: everyone had settled in properly down here, Zelda and his relationship was sailing smoothly... He also realised that he had become happier, and stronger once again. 

As the hero was making his way back through the town, he was called over to by Karane, who was busy attending to a patch of crops. She wiped the sweat off of her forehead with the back of her gloved hand.   
"Hey, Link! Could I have another bucket? The sun's really warm today, so the crops need watering really well."   
"Oh, yeah of course!" 

Link reached out to give Karane the pail. While doing so, he happened to glance down at the clear sparkling liquid. He didn't see his reflection in the water, but rather, to his shock, he saw the person who he didn't want to see most of all. 

The water showed Girahim's head and shoulders; his menacing dark eyes stared into the soul of the boy, unblinking.   
Link gasped out in horror. The fright made the pail slip from his grasp. He completely froze as he watched the bucket fall to the floor, and splash entirely over the girl in front of him. 

"LINK! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Karane yelled, furious.  
As if in some sort of trance, Link continued to stare at the fallen pail, completely unable to even comprehend the fact that his friend was upset with him. He felt his chest tighten, his breathing quicken. The girl's anger soon washed away, after noticing the other trembling.   
"Link? Is everything okay?" 

The boy didn't respond. His frightened eyes remained fixed on the bucket. He slowly backed away.  
"Link?"   
Suddenly, the hero felt a presence beside him. He looked to his left. 

Beside him was a large stained-glass window, only recently completed. Within it stood a reflection of Girahim, distorted by the glass mosaic. For a moment, he continued to not say anything. He put a hand on his hip, and his long mouth curled into an evil smile.   
"You know, I hate to admit it, but I was starting to feel like you had forgotten about me. I was actually getting kind of lonely." 

Within the blink of an eye, he vanished from the window. Link felt his heart drop, wondering where he went. He could feel his presence. His eyes darted around the place, trying to see where he had gone. Out of instinct, he moved as if he was reaching for his sword, but remembered that this wasn't him being a hero anymore. 

He found him in another window from across the street. Still wearing that... disgusting smile on his face. Link's furious eyes burned into him.   
"Luckily for me, I can keep myself rather entertained, ruining your precious little happily ever after like this." 

The demon lord then moved again to another window, one that was right next to where Pipit was working. Teasingly, the monster slowly pulled out his long blade from its sheath, and pointed it towards the yellow-clad knight's back. Girahim licked his lips with his freakishly long tongue, almost as if he was thirsty for revenge. Link's mouth gaped in horror. He wanted to yell out, he wanted to move, but he couldn't. It was as if an unknown force had paralyzed him. 

"And one day, I can do the same to your pathetic friends."   
And with that, Girahim pretended to force the blade through Pipit's spine. Link noticed the Knight's face scrunch up in pain.  
"Ow!" He hissed, rubbing his back. "What was that?!" 

Girahim moved again.   
"Oh how naive they are, not knowing that you, the so-called HERO, have set them up for eternal doom."   
He shrugged his shoulders.   
"To me, it doesn't really sound like a thing a good guy would do." 

And lastly, the monster's reflection reappeared at the window beside Link again. He turned to face the other head on. His sudden bombardment of emotions became unbearable. He wasn't afraid of him. He wasn't afraid of any manifestation of evil the world could throw his way, but he was afraid of letting everyone he loved down. He was afraid of the possibility of his words ever ringing true. 

"Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But someday," 

Link slowly took a step closer to the window. His hands were clenched into fists so tightly his knuckles were white. He gritted his teeth. 

"This world will once again fall to the hands of the demon king, and it will be entirely your fault-" 

The hero didn't know what got into him, but suddenly he just couldn't take it anymore. All of his repressed emotions spilled out at once, as he threw his fist at the window. The delicate window shattered into a million pieces. The sound of the smash was so loud that the whole area fell silent. Shards of glass fell to his feet. 

The villagers around him stopped what they were doing, and gasped in shock at the sight. Link suddenly snapped back to reality, and looked down at the damage he had caused. He looked at his bloodied, trembling hand, that was covered in cuts and small pieces of glass. 

Then, his eyes trailed up to his reflection in the remaining red pieces that sat in the window frame.   
What was he doing? Why was this happening to him?

He felt a presence behind him. In the glass, he once again saw that hideous smile from behind him, and those large eyes that were fixed on him. He felt a hand slowly land on his shoulder. 

Without hesitation, he violently forced it off of him with a growl. Turning around, the illogical part of his mind was convinced it could be some unknown form of an attack, but instead, he was actually met with something quite different. 

"HEY! OW!" Groose cried out. He fell to his knees, grabbing his arm and wincing in agony. His amber eyes glared at the boy. "Why did ya do that?! I think ya might've broken my wrist of somethin'!" 

Link stared at his friend in shock, horrified that he had just hurt his friend like that. He could see the sore red mark he left on his friend's arm.  
"I-I'm so sorry I- I didn't know you were there- Groose-" 

The hero glanced at everyone around him. They all stared at him, just as horrified with him as he was with himself. Feelings of guilt and shame consumed him completely. He was appalled. What was wrong with him? What "hero" could possibly be like this? 

The tense atmosphere became unbearable. He did the only thing he thought was right to do, which was to leave. Leave before anything else happened; before anyone else got hurt. 

As he walked off, his eyes reddened. He was so embarrassed and disgusted with himself. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Hmm... Should the flower bed go here? Or....how about there?" 

Busy talking to herself, Zelda carried on with her usual task of mapping out the town. That was, until she overheard Parrow and Orielle walking by. 

"I just can't believe he had an outburst like that!" Parrow exclaimed. "It was actually kind of scary!"   
The younger sister frowned, rubbing her chin.  
"Yeah, he's such a sweet boy, something must've really upset him..." 

Zelda stepped over to them.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, but who had an outburst?" 

The siblings gave each other a look, as if reluctant to respond.   
"Didn't you hear?" Orielle started. She looked uncomfortable.   
"It was Link...we don't know what happened! Everything was fine, and then he started freaking out and smashed one of the new windows!" 

The Goddess stared at them in shock. Suddenly, she was just as confused as they were.  
"Link?! But why would he-" 

She then remembered that night. That first night they were alone together. The nightmares...the insomnia. She remembered all of the emotional turmoil he went through. 

Panic began to rise in her chest. The pair could see her expression change.  
"Where is he?" She asked quickly.   
"We don't exactly know." Replied Parrow. "He walked off, pretty quickly too. Our guess is he just went back inside to cool off."   
"Okay. Thank you for telling me." 

The girl darted past the two and towards her friend's house. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Pressing her ear against the wooden door, she was met with silence. She wasn't sure if anyone was in, but she thought it was worth a try.   
She knocked.   
"Link?"   
Silence. 

She dared to slowly creak open the door. She couldn't see any sign of life in there, and was about to give up, when suddenly she found him in the corner, knees to his chest and face buried in his hands. 

Zelda rushed over. "Link!"   
She noticed his badly injured hand. She winced at the blood that was trickling down his wrist and onto his clothes.   
"What happened?!" 

The other struggled to speak in between muffled sobs. His voice was almost a whisper. "I saw him..."   
He clenched his shaky fists.   
"I saw that-"  
"I know."   
Zelda didn't have to think twice about who he was talking about. She stared at him pitifully. 

The boy slowly raised his head to look at her. His eyes were puffy; tears were rolling down his cheeks. He tried to regulate his staggered breathing before speaking again. 

"I was helping Karane when it happened. I saw his reflection in the water as I went to hand her a pail of water. I don't know why, but I dropped it. It spilled all over her new boots." 

He looked down at his hand.   
"I don't know why, but I got so angry... he then stood there, smiling at me from within the window. He... implied that one day everyone is going to die. I lost all control and smashed one of your new windows. I'm really sorry. I can rebuild it."

Zelda yelled at the other.   
"Link! I don't care about some window right now!" She gently took his injured hand into hers, not caring about the mess.   
"Look at you! You're hurt!" 

"I-I then hurt Groose. He tried to reach out to me. I thought HE was there behind me. I really did. I felt it. And then I- and then I twisted his arm. It looked like it really hurt him, and it was all my fault." 

Link let out a frustrated sigh.   
"How can I be called a hero when I can't control my emotions like this?! When I hurt even my closest friends?!" 

"Link..." Zelda trailed off. She didn't know what to say. She felt a sudden pain in her chest. Just like her friend, she too began to drown in her own waves of self loathing. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have had to experience the things he did. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have the scars from their horrible past. 

If it wasn't for her, he would be happy. 

Selfishly, her love made her focus on consoling the other for now. She gently wrapped her arms around him, who didn't hesitate in accepting her gesture. He held onto her tightly, and buried his head into her shoulder. His body shook from the sobs he refused to hold back any more.   
"I'm sorry." He mumbled. 

Zelda knew he couldn't see her face, so she didn't worry so much about the tears that were forming in her eyes.  
"I'm sorry." She mouthed discreetly. 

She quickly reformed herself, and rubbed his back soothingly.  
"You didn't do anything wrong. Don't worry about the window. It can easily be fixed, and I'm sure the others aren't upset with you." 

The two stayed there for a while, until Link was drained, and didn't have the energy to cry anymore. Zelda slowly pulled away, and rushed over to his cabinet to find some bandages. She quickly cleaned the wounds with some herbal water, and began wrapping his hand up. 

Just as if she couldn't possibly ask him for more, the girl had something she knew she needed to say. She hated the thought of even needing to ask for such a thing. It felt ridiculously selfish, especially after seeing everything that he's going through. 

She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself.   
"You know... You can't tell anyone about this."   
Link looked down at the floor. "Yeah, I know."   
"I'm sorry, Link." 

The two looked up at each other. Both of them just as miserable as the other. The boy offered her a weak smile.   
"It's okay." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Later that day, after Zelda had left, Link was met with another visitor. With a slow creak of the door, Groose appeared, who actually looked somewhat scared to actually talk to him. 

"H-hey." The large boy said in a low tone.   
Link was surprised that he came to visit, when he still hadn't even brought himself to apologise for earlier yet.  
"Oh, hey." 

Groose invited himself in, and sat on Link's wooden desk near the door.   
"So uh- how are ya feelin'?"   
The hero ignored the awkward ice-breaker and got straight to it. He broke eye contact with Groose, feeling too ashamed to look at him.   
"I'm really sorry I hurt your arm." 

The red-head waved his arm in dismissal and let out a big chuckle.   
"Oh, don't ya worry about that! I'm perfectly fine! Actually, I'm quite impressed that ya can do some self defense like that!"

Groose crossed his arms.   
"Also, I didn't come for an apology. I know ya didn't mean it, that's why I'm asking if everythin' is alright!"   
Link smiled faintly.   
"Thanks, Groose. Yeah, everything's fine."   
"Well, ya don't just go bezerk like that for no reason! Come on! Spit it out! Karane can be a real big nag sometimes , I wouldn't be surprised if ya smashed that window out of frustration."

Link laughed at his slander towards Karane. "No, don't worry. It wasn't because of Karane."   
Groose raised an eyebrow.   
"Then... What was it?" 

Link's expression suddenly fell. He realised he slipped up.   
"Oh... i-it's nothing."   
"Oh come on, Link! Ya can talk to me, right?"  
"Honestly, Groose. It's fine, really-"   
"Well if it's fine then why won't ya tell me? Can't ya confide in your friend ol' Groose?! Just hit me with it!"

The other continued to be persistent, trying to get an answer out if him. Eventually, Link grew irritated.   
"Look, I just can't tell you."   
Groose looked rejected.   
"Whaddya mean ya can't?! Why not?!"   
The hero sternly stared at him.   
"Because I just can't." 

The red-head's expression fell. It appeared that he too had had enough. He furrowed his eyebrows and scrunched his nose in frustration. It hurt that his close friend wouldn't even consider talking to him about his problems. All Groose could figure out, was that it was probably to do with trauma from the past. 

Groose suddenly got from the desk.   
"Whelp, it seems like maybe I'm not needed here then."   
Link looked at the other in surprise. He felt a twinge of guilt looking up at Groose's upset, and angry expression  
"...I was there with ya when everythin' happened. I was there with ya to fight off those evil guys."

Groose reached for the door. Just as he was about to leave, he briefly looked over his shoulder. His expression was cold.   
"I hope ya remember that." 

Link sadly watched the other walk out of his house. He gave the door a slight slam as he shut it. 

The boy sighed, and rubbed his forehead.   
"I'm sorry, Groose." He whispered.


	19. Teamwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the need of a new water system built, the teenage boys and the Zora are tasked with building a running water supply for the town. In the mean time, the girls and older villagers take care of things back at home, perhaps not in the way they thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to focus on banging out content more often so I finish this story before 2026 🤠🤠 
> 
> Follow @new.horizons_ss on Instagram for more story content and shitposts! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!

Sending letters via loftwing, Zelda and the Zora King agreed to begin a collaborative project where the Hylians and Zora would build a new water supply for the town. Having evolved to survive the wet environments, the Goddess felt nobody else would be more appropriate for building a reservoir.

Taking into account that to build such a vast waterflow system would take months by hand, Zelda asked someone who she thought would be best suited for making the job as efficient as possible. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Groose looked down at the villagers below as he stood atop a vast, cone-shaped object, standing at a couple stories high. An enormous white sheet covered the invention, sparking the curiosity of everyone. 

The red-head proudly placed his hands on his hips; the corners of his mouth tugged into a smug grin.   
"Alright, everyone! It is finally time for me to show ya Groose's next big invention! Prepare to be amazed as I show ya..."   
The boy dug his fingers into the white fabric, and ripped it out of the way. The sheet gracefully fell to the ground, revealing the invention in its full glory.   
"The Groosenator 2!" 

Link, who was standing beside Zelda, subtly whispered to her.  
"...Why does everything he invent have to have his name in it?"   
The girl glared at him and gave him a nudge with her elbow.   
"Oh, shut up and just let him have his moment. He's going to be a great help, after all." 

The Groosenator 2 was completely different to it's previous catapulting entry. At the front was a giant screw-shaped head, followed by a large body for the cogs and cables, and then at the end, a platform with a large rotating handle that controlled the front of the machine.   
Groose hopped down from the top of it to the controls department.   
"I can see that ya are all amazed by my new mechanical tool. Well, prepare to be even more amazed as I show ya it IN ACTION!" 

The boy grabbed the large handle with both his hands, and with all his might, he forced the stiff handle to begin to move clockwise. The crowd gasped in amazement as the giant screw of the machine began to rotate. As Groose's handle began to build momentum, the drill began to spin faster.   
Over the creaks and clunks of the machine, the boy continued explaining, shouting over it.   
"As ya can see, this handle powers the drill."   
He continued demonstrating for few moments longer, letting the admiration of his friends build up his already large ego. Letting go of the handle, the machine soon slowed to a halt. He explained the other features, such as the levers that make it go forward and backwards, and how to steer.   
"As of now, this bad boy will go into the ground, and build us the start of our new waterway!" 

Everyone began chatting among themselves, complimenting Groose's handiwork. The boy jumped down from The Groosenator 2 and walked over to Zelda with with a proud skip in his step.   
"Groose! I really need to thank you again!" The Goddess exclaimed. "This is amazing! We'll be getting things up and running in no time!" 

The red-head proudly held his head up high, and crossed his arms.   
"Well, thank ya! I'm glad I could put my impressive skills to use."   
Resisting the strong urges to eye roll at his egoism, Link forced a smile and praised his work as well. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Later that morning, the young boys finished preparing for their departure. With the help of Zelda's map, the plan was that they were going to drill directly northeast, and meet the Zora at their reservoir, a short walk away from the domain. 

Link and Zelda decided to say goodbye in private, standing a little away from the others. 

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Asked the hero. It wasn't the first time he had asked either. The idea of all the boys leaving her and the other villagers behind terrified him. Ever since Zelda proposed the idea, he stuck to her like glue; constantly nagging about how unsafe of it was, how lonely and quiet it could be...etc. 

Zelda rolled her eyes and let out an irritated huff.  
"Link! I've already told you a million times! Yes! Everything will be just fine!"   
The other shook his hands in defence.   
"I know, I know- I'm sorry. I just worry." 

Overhearing the two, Karane stomped over, hands on her hips and a furious glare being sent in the boy's direction.   
"What makes you think that I can't take care of everyone here myself, Link?!" 

Walking past Zelda, Karane stormed up to Link and got in his face; gritting her teeth and giving him a harsh shove. All colour suddenly vanished from the boy's face, his eyes widened. Before he even got a chance to form a response, the girl started again.   
"Is it because I'm a GIRL?!"  
"N-no!" cried out the other. "Of course not! I-" 

Karane angrily pointed her finger at him, only just avoiding his face by a few centimetres.   
"Funnily enough, I am a fully trained knight as well, you know!"   
"Of course! But-"   
The red-head cut him off, but to his relief, she suddenly seemed less angry.   
"Well then, what is there to worry about?!"   
Link slowly looked over to Zelda, who gave him a smile, as if she was agreeing with the other. The hero admitted defeat through a sigh.

Shortly after, Karane dismissed herself, and went on to say goodbye to Pipit.   
Zelda stepped forwards and cupped her love's cheek.   
"Stop looking so worried."   
Link gazed at her with a small smile. He didn't feel much more reassured, and he still didn't want to say goodbye, but he knew logically he had to let her do what she needed to do.   
"I'll see you soon, okay?" The girl softly spoke.   
The pair finished saying their goodbyes with a small kiss, before the boys left for their long journey ahead. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

One evening, while the boys were out of town, Karane and Zelda decided to hang out like old times. The Goddess suggested they had a sleepover at her place. Karane layed on her stomach on her friend's bed, her legs crossed and looking at her nails. "It's so strange to not have the boys around. It's so much quieter. I've gotten so used to them giving me a headache every day, that the peace is odd to me." 

Zelda sat on the end of her bed, looking out of her window, and at the dark, empty street outside. She chuckled at her friend. "Yeah it is. By now, Groose, Cawlin and Stritch would be running around the streets yelling until Goselle Mallara was crying for them to stop." 

"I know he's my boyfriend, but I meant Pipit, too. That boy gets on my last nerve sometimes!" Karane said jokingly.   
Zelda turned to her, looking at her curiously.   
"Really?"   
"Yeah! Is your boyfriend really your boyfriend if he doesn't fill you with rage?! Every time I yell at him he makes things worse by telling me my face goes red like an apple, and calls me 'apple head'!" 

The other burst into laughter.   
"No way! That's so odd, Link's never like that."   
"Link is super quiet anyway. He barely talks as it is, let alone try and annoy you.  
Zelda faintly smiled.   
"He is more of a listener than a talker, but just because he doesn't say stupid things, it doesn't me he doesn't do stupid things. He gets himself into danger so often and I always worry he's going to get himself hurt! That boy's going to give me a heart attack one day!" 

There was a silence after she spoke. Karane propped up her head with her elbows, and stared at her friend with an eager smile. The blonde rolled her eyes.   
"What?"   
"Go on! Spill everything! You've never told me anything about you and Link! You didn't even tell me you two had gotten together!" 

Despite the girl's bubbly attitude, Zelda could sense the hints of jealousy in her voice. She gave her friend an apologetic look.   
"I'm really sorry! It happened really suddenly, and we were all so busy... And I didn't get a chance to even tell you because Cawlin- yeah." 

Karane got up and shuffled closer excitedly. "So... What happened?! Tell me everything!"   
Zelda looked up at the ceiling while recollecting the memory. She felt her cheeks glow as she told her the story.   
"We had found the most beautiful clearing on our way to the Zora's land. The wildlife was wonderful; with delicate flowers all over the place, vines and tall grass. Under the light of all of these fairies, we were talking. He brought up how I was about to say something to him while flying after the Wing Ceremony- because originally I wanted to confess to him then. I...told him I liked him, and he told me he liked me too."   
The girl hesitated for a moment, feeling herself going redder.   
"And then he...kissed me."   
The other gasped. "That's so romantic!" 

"What about you and Pipit? What was your first kiss like?" Zelda asked as she turned to her. Karane stared off into the distance, she too started reminiscing.   
"We sat on the roof of the Knight's Academy, watching the stars and clouds slowly move in the night sky. We were just enjoying the peaceful silence, and he played with my hair. At one point, he put one arm around my waist, and moved closer. I don't know how it happened, but I looked at him and something just felt...right. I remember him looking so particularly handsome in the moonlight, and we both just leaned in slowly and...kissed." 

Karane had a love-struck look on her face.   
"It was the best night of my life. I do rant about Pipit a lot, but deep down, I couldn't be happier." 

The two chatted away into the early hours of the morning. Karane rambled on about how Pipit secretly gets a little flustered when they kiss, or how he puffs his cheeks while he's thinking, or how cute he is when his mother embarrasses him in front of her. Zelda smiled like an idiot while thinking about the way Link scratches the back of his head when he's shy, the way he frowns cutely when he's annoyed, or the way his large eyes sparkle when he laughs and smiles at her. 

The blonde girl let out a sigh. She looked out of the window again, and at the shining white moon outside.   
"I wonder how the boys are doing?" 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

After their long journey, the boys finally made it to the reservoir, where some of the Zora waited eagerly. 

Hikor ran ahead, and excitedly shook Link's hand, squeezing it a little too hard.   
"Link!" He greeted cheerily. "It's great to see you again!"   
The hero returned the greeting. 

"AHHHHHHHH!!" 

The two snapped around to look behind them, after hearing Groose's incredibly loud terrified scream. The Hylian boys all trembled with fear, except for Pipit who looked as if he was about to draw his sword. 

"W-WHAT IS THAT THING?!" The red-haired boy cried out, peeking through the gaps between his fingers as he covered his eyes.   
Hikor crossed his large arms and glared at the other.  
"I could say the same thing about him!" He said to Link. "Look at his hairstyle!"   
"S-sorry about them, they're not used to seeing new kinds of people." The hero apologised.   
"Oh it's alright." The Zora replied with a smile. "We did give you and Zelda a tough time when we first met you." 

Feeling playful, Hikor stepped over to the frightened boy. His tall stature cast a shadow onto Groose's curled up body. Slowly, the boy began to remove his hands from his eyes, and look up at the other. Hikor purposely gave him the largest grin he could muster, showing off his monstrous, razor sharp, jagged teeth in all their glory. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Groose screamed at the top of his lungs. Hikor let out a loud chuckle. 

A few moments later, Link heard a familiar voice call out to him.   
"Well well well, we meet again, handsome swordsman." 

The group of boys looked above them. Atop the reservoir dam stood the group of Zora constructors. Emerging from the crowd was of course Eleta, and her two younger sisters. The oldest princess gazed down at Link; a smirk on her full, purple lips. Her long fin tail at the back of her head gently blew in the cool breeze. 

She hopped down and slowly stepped over to the boy, keeping her lidded eyes on him all the while. She dared to gently place a hand on his cheek, even in front of everyone. The boy froze in surprise at her bold actions, shocked that she would have the guts to do such a thing, especially in front of his friends. He stared at her with widened eyes. 

"Oh, give me a break!" Cawlin muttered to Groose and Stritch, rolling his eyes. "Why is everyone always attracted to HIM?!"  
Stritch let out an irritated sigh.   
"Yeah, what does he have that we don't?!" 

"You look stressed." Eleta spoke softly, noticing the large dark circles under the hero's eyes. She glanced down at his muddy clothes, but the look in her eyes suggested she wasn't just thinking about how scruffy from working he looked. It felt invasive. She gently squeezed his arm and gave him a flirtatious smile. The other swallowed nervously.   
"Perhaps when we're all finished up here, you could come and relax back at the domain. You look like you need a break- and to freshen up a little bit." 

All the boys stared at the pair, jaws to the floor in shock. Link choked on his own spit at what she said. His cheeks rapidly started burning up. However, despite his strong urges to curl into a ball and die of embarrassment, he kept his posture.   
"T-thank you for the offer, but I'm concerned about Zelda's wellbeing; being left alone at home and all. I should head back when the others do- as soon as possible." 

Suddenly, Eleta pulled away. She scoffed and gave him the most fierce glare.   
"Fine." She muttered. "Have it your way."   
Link scratched the back of his head awkwardly as she watched her storm off.

"Hey." Stritch called out to the Zora princess. "We wouldn't mind stopping at your place for a little break."   
The girl stopped walking. She looked at the boys up and down judgingly, her face scrunched up in disgust.   
"I would really rather you not, thank you." 

The three silently watched her storm off, shocked at her brutal rejection. 

Pipit leaned into Link, getting close enough to talk so quietly he couldn't be heard.   
"I take it that her and Zelda don't see eye to eye- for obvious reasons."   
"Nope." 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

In the midst of Zelda and Karane chatting over snacks, a deafening scream filled the night air. The pair suddenly froze. The atmosphere fell silent.   
"What was that?!" Zelda asked, alarmed.   
"It sounded like a scream!" Karane replied, just as panicked. "Goselle's scream!"   
The knight scrambled to her feet; the other soon followed. "Someone might be in trouble!"

Rushing over to the large bedroom window that overlooked the town, they gasped in horror at what they could see in the distance. A herd of bokoblins and lizalfos were running through the streets. It seemed that they had planned to take them by surprise, by invading in the middle of the night.   
"Oh, really?!" Karane scoffed in annoyance. "Now?! Of all times?!" 

The red-head turned to face Zelda, her expression serious.  
"You say here, Zelda. I'm going to go out there."  
Hastily, she walked past her friend and grabbed her sheathed sword that was beside her fold-out bed. She began running towards the exit.  
"What?! Karane!" Zelda yelled out. "I can't just leave you to go out there on your own like this! I'm coming with you!"   
Her friend looked over her shoulder briefly.   
"No! You can't! It's too dangerous! It's my duty to protect you! Please, just stay here!" 

Before Zelda could get another word in, Karane had vanished. In the silence of her bedroom, the girl anxiously paced around, chewing her thumb. She thought to herself.   
"I can't just sit around doing nothing like this! There must be something I can do!" 

Suddenly, her eyes locked on to her curtain pole. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

Orielle, Mallara, Piper and Goselle grabbed any kitchen utensils they could find: pans, ladles, and rolling pins.   
Dovos, Jakamar, and Parrow grabbed equipment from the nearby maintenance shed, such as farming hoes and garden shears. 

Karane bombed down the path towards the herd of monsters. Hearing her loud footsteps on the cobblestones, the creatures snapped round and locked their crazed yellow eyes on her. The chorus of fearsome roars from the group declared the start of their attack. They came sprinting down the path at great speed towards the girl. Her breathing quickened. Her legs turned to jelly. It was her against all of them. As she ran, she realised that there was a high possibility that she was going to die, but there was no turning back now. It was her duty to protect Zelda and her people, and she honoured that responsibility. She swallowed back down her rising anxiety and let out a fierce battle cry. 

With all her might, she swung her razor sharp blade at the group of monsters, but right as she was inches away from slicing a couple of lizalfos' heads clean off, everyone stopped. 

A bokoblin at the back of the group let out a pained cry, and collapsed to the floor. Confused, all the monsters shuffled out of the way to see what happened. 

Looking past the group of beasts, Karane could see the other villagers running to her aid, household items in hand.   
"HEY! IF YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT HER YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FIGHT US TOO!" Shouted Dovos at the top of his lungs. 

Karane smirked at the group, but didn't hesitate to return to focusing on the task at hand. While the beasts were caught off guard, she swiped at the two lizalfos in front of them. They let out blood-curdling screams, before returning their attention to her. And so, the battle began. 

Orielle and Parrow being the expert flyers they are, hopped onto their loftwings and scanned the area for the more stealthy creatures that were sneaking their way into the town. Once the timing was right, Orielle threw a frying pan that came hurling down towards the earth.

Below, a bokoblin looked up in confusion.   
BONK!

Using her rolling pin, Goselle swiped at any monsters that came near her.   
"You got your slimy drool all over my nightgown!" She shrieked.   
"One thing you'll learn about me is that I HATE dirty clothes! SO KEEP YOUR DISTANCE!" 

Zelda's legs burned as she frantically tried to escape the vast building. She stumbled as she dashed down the countless flights of stairs.

Bursting out through the front door, she spun on her heels and ran towards the source of the ruckus. Coming round the corner, she saw how nearly everyone was outside fighting the onslaught of enemies. She froze in horror. The image...it looked familiar. 

Memories of long ago flashed back into her mind. It was almost the same. Monsters attacking everyone she cared about, right in front of her eyes. She felt her eyes sting, and a painful ache resided in her chest, but now wasn't the time to dwell on her emotions. She took in a deep breath, and tightened her grasp on the curtain pole. 

BONK!  
The Goddess wacked three bokoblins round the back of their heads. They were knocked out instantly; their limp bodies collided with the floor.   
"Zelda! What on earth are you doing out here?!" Mallara screamed, while taking on another monster.   
"I can't just sit back and watch!" The girl yelled back.   
Before the woman could argue, Zelda darted off to find more of the monsters. 

Because of the team effort, the herd were soon taken down. Some of the villagers started dragging the unconscious monsters outside of the town, so that hopefully they wouldn't return when they awoke. All of a sudden, everything came to a halt. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

Zelda looked behind her, and gasped in horror. A moblin. 

The large beast clumsily stomped it's way down Zelda's path. It's calm behaviour indicated it hadn't spotted her yet, so she dived round the corner of one of the houses. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest. If she dared to make a sound, there was no doubt that it would find her. She held her breath and quickly tried to think of a plan. 

As the moblin slowly began to pass her, she readied her makeshift weapon. Her hands were trembling, and her sweaty palms made her grasp slippery. Once the oblivious beast was in the right spot, she jumped out into the open, readied herself behind him, and tried to swing the pole at his head with all of her strength. Being the vast, strong creature a moblin is, the curtain pole was completely destroyed on impact, and the creature didn't even flinch.  
Her heart stopped. 

The moblin snapped round to face her, and let out a thunderous growl. His knuckles turned white from how tightly he clenched the enormous spear in his hand. It's shiny, sharp end pointed directly at the girl's chest. Zelda slowly backed away, understanding exactly what his intentions were. Just as she braced herself for what probably would be a horrible end to this fight, she suddenly heard another loud thud. A rolling pin smacked the back of the moblin's skull, and fell onto the cobblestone floor. Suddenly, all the villagers jumped out of nowhere, and bombarded him with attacks from all directions. They were too fast for his large hands to land an attack. All he could do was stand there, growing weaker and weaker by the second. Just as he was about to give up and collapse, Karane dashed towards the scene, leaped high into the air. With a loud battle cry, she forced her sword through its back. The moblin let out a defending scream, before slowly collapsing to the floor. And with that, his eyes slowly closed. He had been defeated. 

The knight dug her sword into the ground, using it for stability as she got her breath back. Slowly, she looked up at Zelda in front of her with glaring eyes. Once she was able to speak, she made no hesitation in confronting her friend.

"What the HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" She screeched.   
"I-I was just trying to help!" Replied Zelda, her voice stuttery, partly from the shock of what just happened, partly from the surprise of her friend being so furious.   
"Help?! I said not to go anywhere! You could've died!" 

Zelda was starting to become irritated as well.  
"Well, sorry that I don't ever plan on sitting back and watching my friends get eaten alive!"   
"I don't care, Zelda!" Karane yelled. "It's my duty to protect you! Stop making my job more difficult by stupidly throwing yourself into dangerous situations you don't need to be in!" 

There was a moment of silence. Everyone could feel the painful tension between the two. Karane spoke up one last time.   
"Imagine how Link would feel about this! I wouldn't live to see another day if something had happened to you!" 

Zelda forced out an irritated scoff. She realised that ever since her true identity was unveiled, everybody strives to protect her, even if it costs her her life. She understood that her safety was important, but she couldn't help but feel so trapped! Everyone's constant worrying that something could happen to her makes everything she ever tries to do difficult. Trying to spend some time outside of the town without Link or someone else watching over her was nearly impossible. She appreciated their loyalty, but it was so frustrating to feel like even more of a burden on her people than she already was. 

She was sick of being such an important person, and just wished to be more normal again.


End file.
